The Finale

Hey All

Figured it was about time to update since I have now been off the road for almost a week. I didn't have a lot of rest time for the first couple of days off, but am starting to get back to a schedule and my body is starting to feel rested again. I ended with almost 14,500 miles pedaled on my bike with gear and a few hundred more on top of that without the gear. I also rode three ferries and hitchhiked a couple of times. Suffice it to say I travelled over 15,000 miles this year.

Once home I got my body fat and metabolism and a few other things checked. I sit at about 7% body fat (8-14 is recommended) and burn through almost 3,000 calories on a normal person's normal day.

My bike is currently in the shop being put back together to be fresh and ready for a new ride. When I dropped it off the guys asked if I've been doing some touring and when I said I just got done with a near 15,000 mile ride their eyes popped out and their jaws dropped and I just smirked.

As I rode into town last thursday I rode up the hill to Paddock Lane Elementary school and was greeted by a row of students, friends, and family, along with the newspaper, for two blocks up to the school. The students were chanting my name and waving signs to welcome me back. I then headed into the school and shared a brief bit about my trip and answered some questions before they let out school. I then did a quick interview with the paper and started my ride home. I parked my bike in the garage and left it there for a few days before I tore into it and got it to the shop.

I plan on writing a wind up of the trip, adding a few pics, and jotting a few more notes, but I want to take some time and figure it out. Hopefully I will have something in a week. Thanks to all those who supported me and prayed for me and did any other sorts of goodwill for me along the trip. I appreciate all the friends, family, friends of family, family of friends, newly acquired friends, and complete strangers who encouraged me along the way. It would definitely not have been possible without you. The magnitude of the trip is still sinking into me. I encourage you all to start or continue chasing dreams and live a life of adventure and meaning.

josh

48 Down

Tomorrow marks the day I reenter Nebraska for the last couple days of my ride.  My mom came and rode saturday and sunday with me.  She made 90 miles the first day from Columbia to Kirksville and then we both did about 40 the next day.  The winds were strong the second day and one of the roads was pretty rough and draining.  I was unsure if I would quit but decided it would be most beneficial to go ahead and ride a few miles to get me back on schedule to finish and allow my mom and grandpa to get back to Nebraska.  It was a good thing I did because at the edge of town there was a 50 mile detour that would have taken me into a headwind for half of it.  

Upon entering Illinois I found my tire tread was peeling off the tire, much like a retreaded car tire does.  I swapped out with a spare set and noticed my rear rim was once again cracked.  This perplexed me since I dropped a lot of gear and have ridden nicer roads and trails since Ithaca.   I also had only gone a couple thousand miles.  I decided to ride to Missouri, where I would meet my mom and have her bring a spare bike for me to finish out the last week of the trip without risking too much on the rim.  When I left St Louis to meet her, I decided to check out a bike shop that was en route - Wheel Sports.  

They were setting up shop as I pulled up and greeted me with warm smiles and much encouragement.  We talked about my trip a bit and I informed them of my rim dilemma.  I had trouble reaching Trek, so I decided to take care of the rim myself if possible.  The shop didn't have a rim for me but called another nearby shop, which had one in stock.  The owner, Kim, drove me over to the shop.   That shop gave me the rim at cost, saving me about 50% of the cost.  We went back to the Wheel Sports shop and got the bike going with the new rim and tuning up everything else.  Steve, the manager/mechanic and I hit it off and worked on my bike together and swapped stories of life on bikes and life in general.  Before I knew it, I had spent 5 hours in the shop.  I needed to get going so I could meet my mom and grandpa in Columbia so we could make Kirksville the next day.

The bike worked great and Steve and Kim were great and very encouraging in my ride.  It was yet another Godwink and encouragement to why I am on this trip and to keep my morale strong to finish.  

Tomorrow I get to my uncle's place in Omaha, then an aunt's in Lincoln, then home.  It should be around 200 miles left.  I'm anxious to have the opportunity to have a break where I won't have to get on the road within a couple of days.  

I hope to update a couple more times before the end of the trip.  I promise to update the map, some photos, and a wind up entry after the trip is over, so keep checking back for a while after the trip is over to find stat updates and a few more surprises.  

Fire, Fire

The map is updated again, except for a town or two I couldn't remember off hand.  I now have less than a week to go.  My final ride day is set for Thursday, where I will be riding up to Paddock Lane Elementary, greeted by the kids, who will then host a Q&A.  I am excited for the end and can't believe it is so close. 

Today I completed what may be my last century ride for the trip.  I went 105 miles.  It was a fairly level ride and about a third of it was on trails, which made it nice.  The ride could've been shorter had I not take the trails, but then I would have been on busier St Louis area highways.  I rode a portion of the Lewis and Clark trail again, as well as the Missouri River Trail.  I crossed into Missouri where the two Great Rivers converge.  I then shortly had a flat due to road debris, which was highly prevalent on the Missouri side at the beginning.  It slowly went away the further into the state I rode.  

Yesterday I rode about 95 miles to Carlyle Lake, the biggest lake in Illinois.  I rode there from Red Hills State Park, the highest point between St Louis and Cincinnati - 900ft.  The night at Red Hills ended up being free because the camp host was never on duty when I went there.  I even waited for over an hour one time.  

Tonight I tried to wash my clothes.  I put them in the washer and then went to do other things.  I came back a half hour later and found the washing machine smoking and not spinning.  I wrung my clothes out and threw them in the dryer.  They appeared to be rinsed, just not spun dry.  I then waited for a half hour for the washer to stop smoking and borrowed a fan to air out the place.  The people running the place were no help.  Oh well, nothing burned down and my clothes seem to be clean enough.  

MI2

I am now down to three states!  Less than 1,000 miles!  In two days I will be in Illinois!  This is crazy to think about.  

The last few days have been rewarding but challenging.  The hills finally started to die down today.  They were quite numerous and challenging.  My energy has been low, but my morale has been high, except when completely drained of energy.  The weather has been quite hot, but occasionally I have had drops of rain.  Last night while camping I sweated until about 4 in the morning it was so hot.  It was even supposed to rain during the night, but only occasional showers came.  

The last couple of days seemed to be move-in day for a few universities.  I rode through a couple of towns that had some backed up streets due to college traffic.  It was quite amusing to see how many of them were on their phones while driving.  

The Final K

I will be camping along the Virginia/West Virginia border tomorrow night if all goes well.  Yesterday I crossed over skyline drive and made it to Shenandoah Valley.  The ride wasn't too bad though I rode a little harder than I probably should have.  The climb over skyline drive was about five miles long, though not too challenging at this point in my ride.  The more challenging one was the four mile climb on the other side of the drive that I wasn't expecting.  The ride today was a bit harder and more taxing on me.  I had a hard time riding and that coupled with the 10-15 mph headwind, I got drained early.  Hopefully I can recuperate tonight and be able to make all the climbs across West Virginia.  

I am excited to be so close to the finish but am having a hard time making sure I don't push myself too hard and exhaust all the energy I need to be able to finish strong.  Today I had to remind myself to slow down and not get stressed that I couldn't make it further than I did.  I am still on schedule to finish before labor day, even with today's shorter ride.  

While in the DC area I received a handlebar bag I had ordered.  I was able to switch that out and rotate my tires, making my bike ready for the final stretch.  My pedals are on the way out and while in Delaware I had one repacked, though the bushing is pretty worn still.  I'm hoping they will last till the end of the trip.  Everything else seems to be holding out and working good, for the most part.  

48 is Looking Great

I am now to state 41 and will be in 42 this evening.  Currently it is storming outside, but I am hoping it will clear in another hour or two so I can make the full ride without assistance today.  I am planning on getting to a suburb of DC to stay with my friend Bill.  He and a couple other friends of our family just finished a coast-to-coast tour a couple of weeks ago.  

After leaving Atlantic City I had a nice ride over to the coast and along the shore for quite a ways.  I went through Ocean City, which was very beautiful and bicycle friendly.  The day had started out foggy in places and I had to ride through some patches with low visibility, but it made parts of the ride more beautiful as I could see hills enshrouded in a mist.  It had a serene yet eery feeling.  I then proceeded to cut across southern New Jersey to Cape May.  I was hoping to get to the ferry for the 1pm ferry so I wouldn't have to wait till 2:30.  It was a 1 1/2 hr ferry ride and then I needed to find a place to stay.  I arrived to the entrance at about 10 minutes till, but needed a picture of the Welcome to NJ sign.  I stopped and took that and then talked to a guy in a truck who has done some touring.  I then proceeded to the ticket line and purchased a ticket.  I got there just in time, went outside, and boarded.  I was let on right as I stepped over to the line and then they started loading cars.  I tied up my bike, went to the middle deck, found a bench outside, and we were off.  It was a very smooth ride and I could rarely tell I was on a boat.  I researched where I could stay for the evening and got some results.  Once I was off I proceeded towards Georgetown to stay for the evening.

I left the next day for northern Delaware and my warmshowers hosts of Pat and Karen.  I got in mid-afternoon and Pat and I began sharing stories of the road and continued to all night long.  We eventually went to bed after deciding when I would leave tomorrow.  

Pat, his daughter, and her friend, all decided to join me on my way off and showed me the backroads out of town.  They rode about 10 miles with me and then turned back and I was on my way.  I was now in Maryland and proceeded to head towards Baltimore.  There is only one place on the east side of Maryland a bicyclist can cross the bay and the Susquehanna river.  I headed that way and then turned south east to highway 40 into Baltimore.  Once in Baltimore I made my to some bike trails and over towards the airport.  After a dead end on the google route and a detour I eventually made my place to stay.  In downtown Baltimore I was greeted by a guy who seemed a little crazy and was yelling at me as he crossed the street.  I couldn't make out what he was saying at first, but then I realized the voice sounded threatening, but the words were telling me to push it and keep going.  As I got closer he asked if I was touring, which took me off guard because he did not act or look like he would know what that was.  I said yes and he said "obscenity yeah man, looking good."  This gave me a chuckle as I continued to climb past him.

A Night in the Life of a Horror Film

Riding into New York for a second time the other day I was greeted by a scene straight out of a Hollywood horror film.  I rode by the Harlem Valley Psychiatric Facility which was closed down, had vines growing all over it, and was the typical uninviting brick buildings.  A mile down the road I found a mom and pop motel that I pulled into for the day.  There was a man sitting at a picnic table out front who said he would get the manager for me.  He immediately went calling for Chuckie.  What a name to have near a psychiatric ward.  Chuckie turned out to be a nice guy, but it just played in so well.  Later that night I lost power in my room.  Shortly thereafter a storm blew in with thunder and lightning immediately outside.  I couldn't help but laugh at all the similarities between here and the horror films.

Needless to say, I survived the night and left in good humor the next day.  That day I rode about a third or so of the day on bike trails all the way in to just north of Harlem.  I then crossed the George Washington bridge into New Jersey and rode to Newark to find a place to say.  I was greeted on the bridge by the New York skyline, a place I had lived near a couple years earlier.  The ride that day was quite normal, except that I lost one of my wonderful Reef sandals with the internal pockets.  This put a damper on the day.  

I then headed down to central New Jersey and ended up staying at a campground for two nights because I had such trouble finding a place to stay.  I got the last site in the grounds and I couldn't find a motel room in the area.  This proved to be a great endeavor as I had a group of four families for neighbors who were quite friendly.  Joe and his wife, my closest neighbors even gave me breakfast and dinner on saturday.  I hung out with the gang and shared stories around the campfire that night and it made the ridiculous cost of the campsite seem less bad.  

Today I rode some beautiful roads, used mostly by bikers and cyclists, most of the way to Atlantic City.  The back roads of New Jersey have been a pleasant experience and a good break from the stresses of the big city on the north.  Tomorrow I get to ride a ferry over to Delaware and meet state number 40 in my tour.  

Ups and Downs

As I swooped down into Rhode Island yesterday I was pleasantly surprised by how much it had to offer.  I was not surprised to see that it had no welcome sign on the highway I rode in on, however.  As I gently rode along the many hills and river lined roads and trails I was placed into a state of contentment and enjoyment that is very necessary at this stage in my journey.  As I near the end of my trip it becomes more difficult to focus on each day as it comes and not desire to press on to the end.  

As I left Rhode Island I was greeted by numerous more hills that rolled through the state of Connecticut.  I was warned of this by some cyclists in the Boston area as I left.  While the hills are not always tortuous like they once were, they are a constant workout.  I was pleased to find a rail-trail I was able to use for about 15 miles.  While I did have one long, gradual climb over the last half of the trail, it took out the numerous hills I would've had had I stayed on the highways.  It was a crushed gravel trail, but well maintained and easy to ride.  I just had to keep an eye out for washouts.  The trail caused me to not even realize I was near population centers and blotted out the sounds of the passing cars, giving me an even more relaxing ride.  It then spat me out on a highway, not far from a tri-city area.  The trouble with this was it was 4:30 and the beginning of rush hour.  I rode the sidewalk a lot more than usual and came to a bridge at the perfect time to need to take the sidewalk so as not to make too many drivers mad and to keep my calmness during riding.

I made it through town and took a back highway to another nearby town.  Once out of the tri-city suburbs I was greeted by a narrow, winding, two lane road with hardly any traffic, just off the freeway but enshrouded by so many trees I barely heard the occasional semi roll by.  I then made it into town and had to find a motel since campgrounds are barely existent, poorly maintained, and often overpriced out here.  With a coupon I was able to get a high quality room for half price and relax in a night of luxury, wheeling my bike through their elegant, business guest tailored decor.  I then relaxed for the evening and caught up on the journaling I have recently been neglecting.  

Rhode Island

After a wonderful, refreshing, and relaxing week in Branson, MO, I am back on the road. The time in Missouri was great and the perfect mixture of rest, relaxation, and physicality to give me rest, yet allow me to fall back into riding with no problems. I rode 80 miles into a headwind and along some hills. When I got back to Boston I was debating packing right up and leaving that afternoon and trying to get a few miles down. After thinking it over I decided that wouldn't help enough to justify doing it, so I stuck around. Bob and Emily, the people I was staying with, invited me to go sailing in their boat in the harbor. I decided to take them up on it and it was a great way to finish my breather break. We went to the harbor, hopped on, and set sail. They even allowed me to man the helm for a bit as we circumnavigated an island. The wind was perfect and we were able to average about 6 knots.

I then headed out this morning and used mostly bike paths and a few back roads to get myself into Rhode Island. This is the 49th state I have ever been to in my life and the last one other than Alaska I needed to get to before this trip started. The ride was very scenic and I could tell the break was a good thing. My energy is back and the enjoyment of just hopping on a bike and going were back. I actually rode through the Providence, RI area and got a good view of the downtown skyline on a bridge I crossed. A lot of the day was spent on trails, many of which were in this area. The trails were fairly well maintained and relatively unused. I decided I didn't need to push myself as hard as I wanted to my first day back and so rode until I was out of the metropolis and called it a day.

The tree covered trails and occasionally rivers and streams made for a very relaxing ride through a part of the country I continue to be nervous about due to the population density. If this continues to be the case, I could enjoy this portion a lot more than I thought, except for the expensive camp grounds and motels.

Fleeing The Scene

I found out I have to change from drinking Powerade to drinking gatorade now.

After dealing with a storm on the coast with thunder, lightning, high winds, and supposed tornadoes I made my way down the coast to Boston. Getting to Boston was no major concern, though getting around proved to be a bit of a challenge. No bike paths went the direction I needed and goggles marked bike lane roads were nonexistent. Traffic wasn't all friendly and I had to do some illegal things to get through. Eventually I made it.

One driver did make it enjoyable for me. He was driving a truck beside me and started asking me questions about my trip as the light turned green. He was unconcerned with the traffic and enjoyed hearing my story. This was nice since I had just recently had a lot of trouble getting the roads I needed.

I eventually got to the house I was staying at. A little ways through the evening I pulled my Powerade bottle filled with propel out. The parents and q couple of the kids commented about how I drank Powerade and they were gatorade drinkers. They then proceeded to inform me that the wife's dad was the inventor of gatorade back in the 60s. Also that his wife suggested flavoring it. So now I need to drink gatorade over Powerade.

The Coast Is Clear

After many more hills than expected, I made the coast of Maine. I am in southern Maine now, lounging comfortably in the embrace of an L-shaped rock. The breeze off the ocean brings in the soothing smell of the salt water and the comforting tones of the gentle waves lapping against the shoreline. The tide is slowly rising, allowing the beached boats in the bay behind me to soon go back out. Seagulls occasionally soar overhead. It is a peaceful and relaxing setting.

As it should be. I got the last campsite in the campground and it cost me $40 for a spot without water or electric and barely enough semi-level ground to set up my tent.

The ride into Maine was rolling as I left the white mountains and approached the coast. I have rarely had a stretch of smooth road. I slowly climbed one hill that was about a 13% grade. That is like climbing a road that is steeper than a set of bleachers for a half mile or so. Rather strenuous with 260+ pounds desirous of going the other way.

I got my first glimpse of the ocean outside of Brunswick, me, which is neat since my first glimpse in the south was at brunswick, ga.

I am headed to Boston tomorrow where I will store my bike for a week as I fly to branson, mo to join my family on vacation. It will be good to see them though it will hardly count as a break. If you know my family you know we work hard and play harder. That, along with the flights, will be taxing.

So if I don't write for a week, that's why.

Back In The Hills

I'm officially in the mountains again. I went through the adirondacks and into the green range today. The grades haven't been too bad yet but I believe they are going to be with the mountains that are visible and knowing I have around two more days in them.

The bike has been performing well and so have I, though the humidity is killing me and I'm dead at the end of the day. The heat has at least dropped almost ten degrees. The wind today was at my back which made for good riding but didn't keep me very cool.

It feels weird only getting around 100 miles in a state, though that is a good portion ride through these smaller states. It's encouraging on the progress, just feels like I'm not doing a lot. I am now to the point where I will be riding across a state in one or two days each. Knowing that I have less than a month of riding left helps keep me motivated, though. I loose stamina and desire at times, though not enough to justify stopping.

The scenery around here is spectacular and majestic, even with peaks only being a couple thousand feet high. I get lost in the landscape and dream of times past and what this would've looked like to those who settled these areas over 200 years ago. I rode by a family farm that has been going for over 125 years!

I have also ridden through a lot of Amish and Quaker country. I have only seen one buggy on the road and only two families, though. Signs for sharing the roads with the buggies are all over, however.

Trouble

So I was riding along in Tioga, PA and I heard a gunshot and then felt an impact. This all happened as I noticed an object in the road I couldn't see until I was upon it. I swerved and missed it with the front wheel but clipped it with the back wheel. As I hit it the gunshot sounded, the object flew across the road and my tire went flat. I walked my bike a block to the nearest parking lot to assess the damage.

As I did this three men offered their help, two of them telling me where they live and to stop by if need be. This was very encouraging since I was about 25 miles from the nearest shop.

I unloaded the bike and began to assess the damage. The rear tire was slashed about 2/3 around, along with the tube having four major holes in it. The rim had a divot, was untrue, and had a hole blew through the rim tape - which meant there was probably further damage done there. As I looked around the rim I noticed scratches but didn't want to jinx my luck by assessing if these were cracks or not. The divot needed to be sanded down to allow the tire to seat and not be cut. I pulled out my tube patching kit and took the tiny sheet of sand paper to the rim. I then got out my first aid kit and taped over the rim tape. Thanks to the disc brakes I didn't have to true the wheel right there. It wasn't good, but it was rideable. I put on a new tube and tire, did a small test ride, then loaded up and prayed for the best.

It rode okay but I remained nervous all the way to ithaca. Along the way I got two more flats. Thankfully I made it safely. Along the way I called my contact at trek, Eric, and checked about getting some assistance with a shop choice. They had one shop in town, called them up and got me in the next day. I dropped it off and less than an hour later I had a verdict. The rim was cracked and needed replaced, along with some other smaller things I knew were getting ready for work. The Bike Rack called up trek and they were going to overnight the rim and other parts. I headed back to my campsite and relaxed for the day.

Today I took my bike to the shop and left it for a few hours. When I came back I had a new rim, new cassette and chain, new tubes and tires, greased bearings, a new bottom bracket, and a new brake cable as well as a wiped down bike. This is the first major tuneup the bike has had in 12,000 miles and the shop was impressed on how good it all was. Most of that all is normal wear.

I NEED TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OF THANKS TO TREK FOR FOOTING THE BILL AND THE BIKE RACK OF ITHACA, NY FOR THE SPEEDY SERVICE!

Sasquatch Is In The Area

Last night I looked at the weather forecast and it wasn't supposed to rain until about noon today. Deciding to not do what I usually do and get my rain fly ready in case of rain, I just put it in my tent. Lo and behold that at 6 in the morning it starts to sprinkle. I decide I am simply going to throw the fly over the top since it isn't raining that bad and I will be getting up soon. Wrong choice. It began to downpour and water began to leak into the tent. Finally having enough I got out and quickly staked it down. I needed to route plan a bit so I turned on my phone and checked the weather as well and the forecast changed to rain at 6 and 7 and then 11. The majority of my stuff stayed dry and it was really only the tent that got wet, so not all was lost.

I was up and off and the beginning of my ride was great with the majority of it being or feeling downhill. I did have many rolling hills today and with the rain and temperatures the way they were I felt like I was in the Smokies in Tennessee instead of in northern Pennsylvania. It was quite beautiful and very scenic.

Shortly after beginning the day I was riding a back road and a guy on a harley rode by and asked if I was traveling cross country. I told him yeah and then he pulled into the next driveway, which happened to be his house. His name was Brian and he had moved to PA from California. He was quite interested in what I was doing and we talked a bit about my ride and route and the area. He also informed me he was going to talk to the local paper about me. We said our goodbyes and then I was off once again.

I ended up having a detour right after leaving his house. I took the route and on my way back to the original highway I was on I was met by a lady in a car who informed me she was with the local paper. Things apparently move fast out here. She pulled off at the next convenient location and interviewed and talked with me for a while.

Things were off to an interesting, yet slow traveling, start. The rest of the day wasn't filled with as much activity. It did rain off and on and occasionally I heard thunder, but I never saw lightning. Humorously, I was dryer today than I had been due to the humidity and I didn't need to drink near as much. The rain also kept me cooler at times. I ended up calling my ride a bit short due to the rain and activities of the morning. It ended up being a good thing. Shortly after I stopped the rain got worse and I met a biker who said he had seen lightning not too much earlier.

My bike's chain has been starting to skip occasionally and at the very end of my ride today it was doing it every stroke. I'm not sure what's wrong yet and hope it is just a fluke and will last at least a couple more weeks until I take another break and will have more time to take it to a shop, as well as be near a shop.

The title refers to the fact that I was informed today that I am in premiere big foot territory and there have been multiple sightings. Of course this made me keep an eye out as I rode to see any sign. None was spotted today, though I have more distance to travel in his territory.

Road Warriors

I rode another near 100 mile day from Toledo to around Norwalk. I stayed at a very small campsite that had a little pond and two RVers. One of them was named Herb and he used to cycle until some circumstances in life slowed him up. We talked for awhile about biking and seeing the country. I enjoyed getting to know him and see his zest for living no matter how you have to do it.

I then headed towards Akron on yet another hot and humid day, which it had been since the 4th. Along the way a lady pulled over and informed me she was a cyclist and wondered if she could offer me anything. I said some ice would be nice and she told me how to get to her and her husbands place a few miles away. Being a cyclist she sent me on the way that had the nicest downhill. Hildegard and her husband earl gave me lunch and drinks and we talked for awhile. They offered to let me stay and seeing what time it was getting and being tempted by the air I decided to stay. Some friends of theirs came over later for dinner and cards and I had a very relaxing and enjoyable afternoon and evening.

Today remained hot and humid and began giving me more hills. The downs were nice bit some of the ups were strenuous, especially in the heat. I had to walk the tops oc the last couple.

The humidity has been so high it has felt more like I have been swimming to each destination. The headwinds have been nice because they have provided a bit of cooling and relief. Once I stop my body just drips and gains more moisture. Tomorrow it is supposed to cool off and also rain a bit.

The evenings have been nice lately because I have been given a private fireworks show every night as the fireflies flash all around me. It is a soothing site. I have also not had to use a sleeping bag due to the warmth. Tomorrow I will probably have to pit the fly back on my tent though, due to the rain forecast.

It is looking like I should be to the coast of Maine in around ten days. I also believe I only have about five weeks of riding left. This is encouraging. I am having a harder time staying strong to the goal, bit I definitely don't want to quit. I appreciate all the prayers and support and will need it the most over the next month.

One more thing...I believe that today I have had more troubling and dangerous drivers than I have had overall. I am planning my route much further in advance and am working on finding safer routes. GPS has also been getting used a lot more to find parallel roads. A few of the next states have also given me cycling maps. If anyone knows more about these areas feel free to drop a line or email and I will be open to reviewing them. I know my way to Maine. Then I will head south from Portland to providence and across to jersey. From there I know more again.

Holy Toledo

I have ridden nearly 300 miles in three days since my last post. I'm now in eastern Ohio; state 30. It has been hot and humid the last few days and I have grand about 9 or so gallons of fluids.

July 4th found me in an rv park outside Jackson, mi. It ended up having a lot of friendly pros and I met and hung out with a good portion of them. Unfortunately I had a hard time sleeping even though I was exhausted.

The ride has been going well but it is hard to find words and energy to describe it at this point. I'm still enjoying it.

I tried to use a bike trail yesterday that the internet said was paved or crushed stone. I ended up riding on rough grass and dirt until I got to a different highway I could use. Finding bike trails has been touch and go out here.

Michigan

I just wanted to do a quick update. I have been resting the last couple of days at my brother and sister-in-law's house and have been utterly exhausted. I rode the high speed ferry across lake Michigan and it took 2 1/2 hrs to cover 85 miles. I had never really processed how big the lakes were until riding across it and not seeing land for such a long time.

Through visiting Trek and getting on their site and facebook page I have now had offers of places to stay out east that may come in handy when I get there. Since nothing is planned out too far ahead I won't know till I get closer.

Yesterday I visited Meijer Gardens here in Grand Rapids and saw glasswork by artist Chihuly. I had heard of his work before, but seeing it in person was quite amazing. Some of the pieces were extremely detailed. Hopefully I can upload some pics later. I took them on my phone.

The weather has been great if not a little too hot. Hopefully it stays this way for awhile as I continue on. It has been nice to be able to take a break for ice cream most every day.

And now it is time to go finish packing to head on today.

Montana to Wisconsin by Pics

Inside the Trek HQ

Outside Trek

The Tallest Bike in the World in Sparta, WI: America's Bicycle Capital

Along the Mississippi River at Lake Pepin

Wisconsin

The Mississippi River and Red Wing, MN

Minnesota

North Dakota

A Flooded Road in North Dakota Recently Repaired

South Dakota

Cowboy Mounted Shooting: My Former Boss in Wyoming

Wyoming: State 24!

The Missouri River Headwaters

The Continental Divide for the Last Time This Trip

Montana Majesty

Some People Can't Hold It: Montana Rest Stop

Trek Bicycle Corp.

I am getting ready to take the ferry to Michigan tomorrow. I was originally going to go along the UP and then down, but decided that was more Michigan than I wanted to bike on this trip and I could also see my brother and sister in law and nieces if I took the ferry. I am staying with friends in Milwaukee tonight, which helps the expense account and allows me to catch up with them.

Today I had a wonderful tailwind and bike paths most of the day. I started out with a bike path from Sun Prairie and then a nice shoulder/bike path all the way to Waterloo: Trek Bicycle Headquarters. I rode to the facility and then changed shirts. I was wearing my only clean jersey, but it was a specialized and I felt wierd going to Trek in a Specialized jersey. I changed to one of my others and then went to take a pic of the sign and building. As I was taking the picture a lady came out and asked if I wanted her to take a pic of me in front of the sign. She then offered to get me set up on a tour of the facility. This was more than I was planning on.

I was waiting in the lobby when two men approached me and asked if "I was the guy?" I said I must be and then we introduced ourselves. One's name was Eric, and I can't remember the other one (you'll have to help if you read this...I'm horrible with names). We talked a bit about my trip and they took some pics and then Eric took me on a tour of the facility. They had a lot of nice bikes on display and then he took me to the development area of the facility. I saw the behind the scenes of development and advertising and then went on a factory tour. It was quite amazing to see. Trek has an on site gym for the employees to work out at during the winter when riding is bad. They also have an on site kitchen to which I was taken to and a chef cooked me up an omelette. We talked some more about the trip as I ate and then went back to the bike and I showed them my map of the country. We then departed. They mentioned one way for me to head to Milwaukee and GPS said another.

I looked at my maps and went with yet a different way for scenery and ease. As I was riding along the highway a car pulled off and talked to me. He was very friendly and informed me I would have less of a hassle with traffic if I took a turn ahead and got onto a bike path I was parralleling. He directed me to my turn and I was off on bike trails for the next 30+ miles. This was a welcome change, though sometimes I enjoy the highway for the people you meet. The path was good and had a small fee for wheeled access. At Wales and was halloed from a couple of bikers on the road who turned to meet me. It was a couple out on a ride on a day off. He works at Trek and mentioned he saw me there earlier and then informed me that I was already on Trek's website. The link is in the articles box on the side.

The day was beautiful out and the tailwind was much appreciated. I was able to keep a nearly 20mph pace today.

My first full day's ride in Wisconsin was a bit more unpleasant. I was riding along the great river road along the MS river and I thought it would be relatively flat or rolling. It was rather hilly with big hills in many places. The shoulder was at least fairly wide. It occassionally looked like it was going to storm; which was in the forecast I had seen. That morning, however, the CG owner said they were predicting hail and tornadoes that afternoon. I figured I'd be far enough away it wouldn't matter; plus I thought he may have gotten exaggerated info. I rode on and decided to keep riding past the first state park, Merrick SP, and continue to Perrot. It would make it easier to cross the state in a shorter time. I got there and the weather was beautiful and I got a site and set up. I was a little nervous because there was no high ground in my site. I ate my meal and finished setting up and then took a brief walk around the CG. I heard the ranger talking to a family about getting to the bath houses for more protection than their tent. This got me wondering what was up. I then got back and heard a weather radio playing at the host site. It was rattling off a rather unfriendly report about tornadoes and golf ball size hail just upriver from where we were. It was also saying severe thunderstorms in our area. The host said I should grab my stuff and wait out the storm in the nature center.

I again thought this was probably a bit of an overreaction since the tornadoes and hail were north. I got back to my tent and was going to look at the radar when the first thunder and lightning started. I grabbed my stuff and headed to the center and met the host there. She was a bit more shaken up than need be and was exaggerating the reports that the weather radio was playing (it was in the room playing and I could hear what they said). The lighting was close for a while and the rain came down hard. Eventually the heart of the storm passed us. I kept an eye on the radar on my phone and could tell when the red and yellow were past. I headed back to my site and my fears were partially realized. As soon as I turned into my site my feet were in a puddle of water that encompassed my whole campsite. I waded back to my tent and thankfully found it dry inside, though with numerous pockets of water underneath from the puddle flowing through. My gear and I were able to stay dry, however. In the morning all was dry, though flood advisories were posted the night before and throughout the following day.

Oh, and I was also informed I made the front page of the Kulm, ND Messenger. It is too small to be online, but I will try and get a copy uploaded sometime.

The Mighty Mississippi

I have made Wisconsin. I'm camped on the Mississippi right across from red wing shoe factory. I suprisingly have energy, though I have ridden nearly 180 miles in just the last two days. I outran a big storm yesterday and it was a beautiful day to ride today. I rode a great trail along the cannon river to red wing that had views of the river and dense woods.

I'm having a hard time balancing the freedom I've had over the last few months and a slight schedule for hospitality and a finish date. The biggest challenge now is the heat, as well as the floods. The flooding is putting me inside much like the cold did before. Right now the heat is ok because I can find places to escape the heat usually and I can carry two gallons of water.

The roads in Minnesota have been friendly, for the most part, but often quite rough. I did have a cycling map that showed traffic volume on the highways, but it's shoulder size notes were not always right.

The place I camped at last night said there was water available but when I got there it was very foul. Thankfully I had some left as well as some powerade. That lasted me until I could get back to town for some more water. Tonight they have a filter in the office that I can use to take care of it.

As I write this I just saw a tree float down the river.

The Calm Before The Storm

It is amazing that I barely see a car an hour right now and soon I will be hard pressed to not see a car a minute.

The rain has been bad through the Dakotas and Minnesota lately. The ground is saturated and the farmers have had a rough go of getting much planted. I had to help shawna's dad get unstuck quite a few times. The fun part was I got to play with farm equipment.

God has been quite good to me over the course of this trip and has consistently kept me safe and provided shelter when needed. During BRAN I had shelter for a tornado watch. I had shelter again in Murdo, SD during a storm and it cost just a bit more than camping. Then he gave me shawna's family and a warning in north Dakota that kept me from floods, tornadoes and hail. How many people know someone in north dakota? And then he has my course go right by their place while a storm brews. I had also decided to change my Minnesota course before, which was good, because originally I was planning on going through and staying in Wadena, the worst hit place during this storm system.
He has continued to watch over me during storms of all types and I can't wait to see what happens as population becomes the battle instead of nature. Hopefully there is little to do, but I know he can do it. I'm doing what I can though with getting a better mirror and possibly some pepper spray. The bike continues to hold up, even with 12,000 miles on it. He has kept anything major from breaking.

Here's to the final two months.

I'm Still Alive

Sorry it has taken so long to post. I've had very little reception and energy lately. I made it across South Dakota in relatively nice weather. I then went to see my friend Shawna in Kulm, nd on Wednesday and she informed me a storm was moving in the next day. As we were waiting for the news reporter so I could get in the paper I checked the weather. It said severe winds, hail, thunderstorms and potential tornadoes. Shawna and her mom invited me to the farm to stay for a couple days and I decided that was a good idea.

I then hung out and helped on the farm for a couple days. I didn't realize how bad the storms were until yesterday. I also learned there were funnel clouds on the neighboring farm.

The people in this part of the country are a lot more social. As I was riding yesterday a couple asked me over and gave me refreshments, then dinner. They also told me how to get to the campground in town. I ended up hanging out with them for six hours. The town was packed as it was their all-school reunion.

I crossed over the 10,000 mile mark today. Tomorrow I'll be in Minnesota. My body is pretty tired, but I'm anxious to continue.

Twister

I am getting ready to head north from Pierre, today and decided to write before I go. I spent a couple of days here hanging out with Rambo and Sharebare, Dennis' sister and brother in law. His mom was also here and her birthday was yesterday and they threw a suprise party for her, and she was suprised. That lasted all afternoon and well into the night.

Since being on BRAN and riding to Pierre I have had three nights with tornado warnings/watches, but thankfully have had no close calls with any. I have had some good amounts of rain and hail, but have been able to be inside when it has been hailing. Now, having had a colder than normal winter everywhere, we are having a wetter than normal spring everywhere. I now have to worry about flooding and lightning. Hopefully that all passes soon.

The rides of late have had good shoulders and, until yesterday, favorable winds. Yesterday wasn't all that bad until about 15 miles south of Pierre, then a head wind kicked in. It also drizzled a little, but no major storm.

Not much else to say right now. Just anxious to move on.


PS - I have also updated my GoogleMap and have organized locales through Louisianna. I have a few more to organize and a few I still need to remember so I can add them.

BRAN

I ended up pushing on from shawnee and heading to Lusk, Wy after leaving Douglas. My old boss was at a Cowboy Mounted Shooting event and I decided to hang out in the morning and watch the first couple rounds of the shoot. What CMSA is is a cowboy rides a horse through an obstacle of ten baloons with two six shooters loaded with five blanks each. They must go through the course a certain way and shoot as many balloons as fast as possible in a select order. The fastest time wins and there are men's and women's and six levels.

I then headed to Harrison, Ne, where the Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska started this year. I got there before my mom and friends, so I set up and got a brake problem checked out on my bike. It was recommended I try replacing the pads, so I took my bike back and was working on that when they arrived. While working on my bike I talked with quite a few people who had questions about my ride. There was only one option for dinner that night (and BRAN brings in about 1,000 people) so we decided to drive to Lusk and get something before the orientation.

Some riders in BRAN believe each day is a race to get in first, as well as the hour gained from the time change, so people were up and going around 4am. I started moving a couple hrs later and went and had breakfast at my grandpa's pop-up camper, then packed up and headed out. It is a different experience riding with 600+ riders. I get a lot of questions and a lot of comments. I rode this ride last year the whole way with part of my gear. I was able to talk with a few of the people I had met last year and update them on my trip.

We have now ridden three days, though I didn't yesterday because I was feeling sick and didn't want to push it. Last night we had to hang out in the high school at Hyannis until a tornado storm system moved past. Eventually we were able to go back outside and sleep. Many people just stayed inside for the night. One pop-up trailer got spun 90 degrees and cracked the windshield of their car, among other things.

The winds were strong from the front the last two days, but today it was a strong tail wind. I rode back with my mom and our friends the first day, but today I went and rode at my own pace to meet other people and just enjoy the riding. I rode 65 miles in 3 1/2 hrs.

My mom's old college roommate lives in the town we are at tonight, so we are hanging at her place for a bit to recharge electronics, wash clothes, and shower. Now it's time to go take a shower.

Jackalope Days

As has become the case the last few times I stopped, all my big plans went to the wayside due to getting sick. Because I was sick my muscles weren't getting used as much, so they got stiff. As has been the case, however, my body made a recovery the day I needed to go. I was at least able to hang out with my friends and get a tuneup done on the bike. and for those of you not aware, Douglas is the home of the jackalope.

I left town today after eating lunch with some friends from Lonetree. I then proceeded to head to my friends, Brad and Heather, house. I was making extremely good time due to the wind and so I took quite a few breaks along the way. They weren't home when I got there and their dog only let me hang out so long before he decided he didn't want me in his sight. I therefore decided to hang out on the semi for a while.

A Word Of Thanks

Upon reading other journals and a change in mentality throughout this ride, I wanted to start thanking and mentioning those people who have assisted me through my trip. Here is a list of people so far...

McCook, Ne = Mason = met on side of road
Idalia, Co = Football Coach = met at school
Last Chance, Co = John = pastor of methodist church
Aurora, Co = Hannah, Jim, Rachel = friend and host's of friend
Colrado Springs, Co = Larry and Sue = family friends
Dodge City, Ks = Scott and family = 2nd cousin
Wichita, Ks = Brian = friend
Tulsa, Ok = Nathan and Valerie = friends
Siloam Springs, Ar = Jon, Reid, Michel = friends
New Johnsonville, Tn = Joe = pastor of church of Christ
Dandridge, Tn = Robert = pastor of first baptist church
St Augustine, Fl = Pirate Haus Inn = hostel with great people
Ft Lauderdale, Fl = Dennis = warmshowers host
Gainesville, Fl = Jimi = friend
Tallahassee, Fl = Gene and family = warmshowers hosts
Pensacola, Fl = Richard = friend's brother
Mobile, Al = Gerry and family = friend and his family
Amite, La = Gerry = friend
Outside Natchez, Ms = Chester = met on roadside
Dallas, Tx = Pablo =friend
Fort Worth, Tx = Zack and Sarah = friends
Austin, Tx = Jason and Kim = Sister-in-laws family
Austin, Tx = Ryan = friend
Kerrville, Tx = Camp Eagle, Anthony, Craig, etc = friends and former workplace
Midland, Tx = Mike and Jody = friends
Arizona City, Az = Neil = friend
Wickenburg, Az = Wes, Emily = friends
Newport Beach, Ca = Tyler and Allison = friends
Escondido, Ca = Alexis = friend
West Hollywood, Ca = Aaron = friend
Valencia, Ca = Dave and Sheri = cousins
Hanford, Ca = Lila, Ron = great aunt and her son
Lodi, Ca = Clint, Dan and families = 2nd cousin's and family
Bend, Or = Carl and Sue = friends of 2nd cousin
Walla Walla, Wa = Dan, Allison, and family = warmshowers hosts
Missoula, Mt = Josh and KP = friends of family
Casper, Wy = Pat and Nancy = friends parents
Douglas, Wy = Mick, Cindy, Hannah = friends

and the countless others whose names I don't know or can't remember. All but a couple gave me a place to stay, along with other things, and a couple provided me meals and social time. If I have not mentioned you, feel free to let me know and I will correct it ASAP.

Thanks Again

Home Again

When I left Casper I had a wonderful 20 mph tail wind and the weather was almost 40 degrees warmer and you wouldn't have known how bad yesterday was if you looked at the day. I got a couple of supplies and then booked it to Douglas at about 18mph. A normal 5-6 hr ride turned in to 3 hours. Before starting this trip I lived outside of Douglas for about 1 1/2 yrs. I still have friends in the area and have been spending time with them the last few days. I ended up getting sick yet again. This has become a trend every time I stop for any length of time. I am still recovering after a week of sickness and hope it goes away soon.

It turned out that a couple of my friends who had also moved away were coming back this weekend as well. The week has been spent seeing old friends, recovering from sickness, and working on the bike. The tires had 3500+ miles on them and pretty much no tread left. It also needed a good cleaning.

A couple days ago the weather was nice and a friend and I went out on the north platte river and kayaked for a few miles. The river is up very high and moved quite rapidly. We had a few sets of mild rapids that added to the excitement.

And that should bring everyone up to date. Sorry about the delay in writing. Reception was poor most places I stopped in Montana and Wyoming and then I got sick and didn't feel good sitting for long periods. I am in Douglas a few more days and then I head to Nebraska for a half week this weekend.

Hypothermia...Again

I got up and headed on through slight rain. The forecast I found last night from the local radio station as well as the previous ones from the internet said warmer morning followed by occasional rain in the afternoon. I decided to head on. The sky slowly became foggy and was starting to concern me about visibility. I rode on to the rest area and took shelter inside to warm up and let the fog clear. I had many comments about how it wasn't a great day to ride a bike.

Eventually the fog cleared and I continued on. Soon after starting, however, cold rain and cool temperatures moved in. I began getting extremely cold and concerned about how to handle that and the traffic. I eventually made it to Powder River. Many of the towns on this 100 mile stretch of road west of Casper are not there anymore and others are just holding on. Powder River is holding on. They had a post office that I went into to get warm. The lady clerk was very friendly and cranked the heat up to help me dry out. We talked for a bit and shared some stories and she opened up a room to let me put on a dry pair of pants. It took a long time to put these on and after an hour in the heat I was still shaking pretty good. I decided to call a friend and see if they could pick me up somewhere outside of town. After some discussing we decided I would ride towards town and after he finished up some things he would head my way.

While in the post office it had hailed and snowed and the wind shifted to a tail wind. This helped me ride almost 20 miles before he picked me up. The temperature had also dropped about 5 degrees, to 31. After piling in we drove back to town through more snow and rain. I warmed up at there house and also fell asleep for a bit, drained from the cold and exercise.

Moving Thru

I woke up fairly early for an unknown reason and decided to use it to my advantage today to get to Worland before the headwinds started. It was a relaxing ride of 40 miles and relatively easy. I beat the winds to town and ended up getting a room to have a bit of a break. I ran some errands and then just took it easy.

The next day I wanted to get about halfway to Casper, about 85 miles. I headed out halfway early and made it to Thermopolis quite easily. Thermopolis is the home to the world's largest natural mineral springs, and you can smell when you are getting close. I continued through here, as I have been here before and wanted to cover ground today. There is a beautiful canyon just south of town and it was a gorgeous day to ride through it. The highway wound along the river and overlooked the train tracks on the other side. As one goes along this road you slowly descend through time as the various ages of rock are exposed. Towards the bottom one is surrounded by steep cliffs on all sides and has a small view of the sky. It played with my senses as I felt I was descending, yet the river flowed as if I was ascending. The climb out of the canyon was also not as challenging as it should have been.

I stopped in Shoshoni at a park next to the school for lunch. Graduation was going on and I had a couple of conversations with locals about my ride and the lack of anything between here and Casper. I decided to cook food here because I would most likely be roadside camping and didn't want to have a stove to deal with out there. I headed on and the wind greatly increased. A storm was moving from the east and pushing the air out in front of it. Eventually the rain hit, but the wind stopped. It was quite a mild ride with the rain, yet not too draining. I started watching for places to stay but this is high desert prairie. There isn't much there.

I eventually made it through the storm, but was becoming more exhausted and needed to camp. After miles of searching I was wore out and just headed to a fence about 50 feet from the highway and set up. Soon after another rainstorm hit. I fell asleep only to be awakened less than an hour later.

Bright flashes and loud crashes brought me out of my sleep. A great rainstorm had moved in and was directly overhead. I started to count time between flashes and thunder and made one-thou... before the crash came. It was this close for about 15 minutes and I was one of the tallest things out there. I got into lightning position for about 20 minutes until the lightning moved far enough away. I eventually fell asleep and had quite a restful night.

Wyoming: Halfway There

I made it into Wyoming in relative struggle. I had a heavy headwind the whole day, which got worse over the last 25 miles. I climbed my way out of Montana for a bit under 50 miles and had a good headwind that kept me out of my saddle much of the time. I eventually started downhill, which was the trend most of the rest of the day. I took a pic by the welcome sign and then headed on. Much of Montana and Wyoming's back roads had sections just recently refinished, giving me a lot of great blacktop to ride on. This was relatively true in Wyoming. I learned that in Wyoming the roads are hired out to different contractors for small sections. The state apparently doesn't regulate how they need to be done, so there are multiple types of surfaces and rumble strips occasionally thrown into the mix.

Once at Lovell I decided to see how the weather was going to be and if I wanted to call it a night there and push on tomorrow. The report said 5mph headwinds today and 15mph headwinds tomorrow. Also, Greybull is lower in elevation by a bit. It was another 30 miles and I decided to go ahead to Greybull today and do a short ride the next day to Worland and get a motel. I pushed on and it started out uphill out of Lovell. Also, the winds were much greater than 5mph and were closer to 20mph. They also switched from headwinds to crosswinds. The best part was the 15 mile climb out of Lovell. Over the last 30 miles, 20 were uphill! The downhills were not a break since the wind blew so hard I had to pedal and with all my strength I barely stayed above 5mph. It was an exhausting day.

As I crested the hills, I got more and more frustrated. I started to yell at the tops like the world's strongest man competitors do when moving heavy things. It worked well. At the last hill I hollered out, "this has got to be the last one." And I was excited that it was. The last few miles into town, however, were gravel due to construction and I struggled a bit more to make it there.

I wheeled into the campground and got a site and then decided to set up camp, shower, and then eat. I was looking forward to A&W, but at just after 8, when I was done with my shower, it was closed (on a friday!). I headed to a different restaurant that was a little nicer and got some food and then headed back and fell asleep. Of course I forgot to cover my bike seat with a sack and it decided to dump rain that night, so I had a wet seat the next day.

The scenery today made the ride much more bearable. I was surrounded by the Absarokas and Bighorns and a few other ranges throughout the day.

Yellowstone to Rockvale

I got ready and headed the five miles into town at Big Timber and got water. The truck stop was out of jugs, but they let me fill out of the fountain. I then continued on with a great tailwind all day. That seemed to be a theme in Montana and pretty much from my second day in Washington all the way to Laurel, MT. Nothing big happened today and I was again fighting clouds that surrounded me, but always seemed to hold off. I stopped at a rest area 20 miles west of Laurel and took one last break and noted the rain falling over Laurel. The wind had picked up and was probably 15+mph at my back. This blew me into Laurel, where I got wet for the last mile into town. I headed to Wal-mart to get some supplies and then to McDonalds to warm up and get a bit of energy for the last ride. The clouds slowly blew over and the sun came out for the rest of my ride. I headed south and got to a campground that I had found online.

It was only $7. I had to self register and the place looked abandoned, so I was worried if it was even open. I paid and went to set up. When setting up I noticed a guy out on a tractor mowing. He didn't come over, so I just kept to myself. I went to use the facilities and they were locked. Eventually the man got off the tractor. It took him quite a long time, but then he got in is hybrid car and drove over the tenth of a mile to where I was set up. He began to tell me his life story and how he is a physicist working on sonofusion in the Ukraine(and how it came to be in the Ukraine) and how he has worked on this concept since the late 40's. He wore glasses with one of the lenses out of the frame. We talked for a bit and he said they weren't quite open yet, though the sign said April. When he said he was leaving he said this would probably be the last I saw of him, and it was. He had opened the restroom and I went and got a shower. I went to fill up my water bottles and it reeked of minerals, so I headed the tenth of a mile to the gas station and decided to eat at the casino/restaurant that was there. It was very good. I got my water and went back and fell asleep and hardly stirred all night long.

Three Rivers To The Yellowstone River

I awoke in the morning and headed to the confluence which forms the Missouri River. I took some pics and hiked around on some rock outcroppings that gave good views of the surrounding areas. The only downfall was that all the mountains had clouds over them and my view was limited. I then headed on and got sprinkled on a bit more and had one more climb before a very nice downhill, where the wind shifted to my back. I got supplies at Bozeman just before this. I was surrounded by beautiful moutains on all sides and had the Yellowstone River flowing beside me. I had found a little patch of green on google maps a days ride from the Missouri and researched it and found it had camping. I decided to try for that and got there in good time. The downfall to the place is that it had no water and though I refilled my bottles at the last place possible, I was still low and in need of more. I eventually had to opt to treat a couple of bottles out of the Yellowstone. The river is quite dirty and the water was cloudy, but after treating it, it quenched my thirst enough. Across the river was the Crazy Mountains and they stood boldly above the hills in front of them, their white peaks jutting into the sky.

John Steinbeck said something along the lines that Montana is a lot like what a kid's vision of Texas might be like after hearing a Texan talk about Texas. I agree with that. The thing about Montana is it is big in a different way and reminds you how small you are. The scale of everything is huge. I have been here before but had forgotten how amazing it truly is. Words and pictures cannot do it justice. Perhaps in a couple days I can use some of the phrases and words that went through my mind as I rode this majestic landscape, but today's weather took a lot out of me. I also need some time to continue to process the magnificence of what I had seen.

I was again the only one at the campsite tonight, though there were a couple people here for day use. As I was sitting around relaxing, a couple of kayakers paddled down the river and chanced the rapids. It was a site to see. I again slept great, which ended up being a common theme in Montana. Possible better than any state overall, so far. That could possible be due to the ability to stay up later with the light, which tends to shine till after 9 every night.

Deer Lodge to Three Forks

My day from Deer Lodge was a fairly normal ride for the most part. I got up and headed to Butte and was making pretty good time. At Butte I got rained on for a couple miles. As I headed into town I could see the rain falling over town and eventually got it hit me. I headed into town and stopped at the bank and got some cash. They had a fountain pop machine so I got a glass of Mountain Dew and headed on. I had a climb out of Butte, but it wasn't as challenging as I was expecting, which made it even better. I crossed the continental divide and headed on. Clouds all around were looking ominous and I was nervous of an encroaching storm. When I got to Three Forks I found the exit I needed was closed and I had to add 6+ miles to get the next exit and backtrack to the campground. I camped at the headwaters of the Missouri River. I was the only one there other than the campground hosts. As I did my detour, rain began to fall again and I ended up getting wet, when I wouldn't have had the exit been open. This made my day 104 miles long, which was a bit much since it was beyond what I was planning, though I recovered quickly. The campground host informed me they had a couple of moose wandering the grounds and that I just needed to be aware of that. I went to bed fairly early and had a great night's sleep.

Home On The Range

I'm finally in Wyoming. State 24. My last few days have exhausted me. I have had a tailwind since my second day in Washington, until today. I had a headwind that got increasingly worse and then hills. I will update on details later. I'm too exhausted right now. Let's suffice it to say I made state 24 and will be visiting friends in three days. I will give full reports on my travel as soon as I have energy, battery power, and reception.

It's All Downhill From Here

Well...maybe not...but the water does all lead to the Atlantic Ocean. I crossed the continental divide for the second and final time on my trip. It occurred to me a half mile from the top that both times I crossed it I was on interstate and there was a storm to the north of me pounding the route I could have taken instead. Lo and behold I made it over relatively dry and not too worn out. That doesn't speak for the end of the day.

I had been battling ominous clouds all day and got rained on for a couple miles in Butte and another mile on a later climb, but that was pretty much it, until...I got to the turn off for the place I was planning on going to and it had a detour that made me go an extra 6+ miles out of the way. During this detour the sky decided to open up again for most of the way. This would've been avoided by having my tent up had I been to the campground when planned. This also made my ride 104 miles. A little too long for my desire. I was thirsty, tired, and hungry when I arrived and just wanted to go to bed, which I did shortly after I made dinner. I can't do the full day justice right now as I am again tired and need to turn my phone off soon so I have battery left until my next full charge.

Today was an 85+ mile day and was uphill to start, like yesterday. I had a climb out of Bozeman and then a wonderfully downhill and. A couple rolling hills followed by more downhill. I am now riding along the yellowstone river. My average speed increased by almost 4mph after the summit. I am camped at a fishing hole with camping with views of the crazy mountains and the absarokas. The river flows swiftly a few feet away and just recently a couple of kayakers paddled past.

I would love to do a more vivid description of the last two days but am in need of rest.

The Bull's End

I left Missoula today. I went to pick up a couple things from the store and went I came out I had a low tire. I expected this at some point since I had rotated my tires and that's when one usually goes flat. I repaired it and took off. It took a while to get going because I had to answer a few people's questions about my ride. I finally got going and onto the interstate. This is not my preferred choice of travel but was about the only option. I headed east and took frequent breaks because I had time to kill. My planned destination was 60 miles away. I was there by 1:30. This even with breaks and more questions due to stopping at rest areas. Many people were friendly and I had very little trouble with traffic. This was partly due to the lack of traffic on Montana roads. The temperature reached the mid-80's today and was beautiful and sunny until the last 15 miles of the day. I had seen storms in the mountains all around me but thankfully that's where they stayed. I got sprinkled on a couple times and the wind picked up. This wasn't too bad since just to the east of me the sky was dark and I could see the rain coming down pretty good. The last mile was the hardest due to about 15 mph crosswinds. That last mile seemed to last forever, partly due to the wind and partly due to the fact that the exit was nearly a mile from it's mile marker. I pulled in to the campground just off the interstate and the people were friendly and gave me the discounted rate. That's good since the only other true camping option was koa. I set up and showered and then headed to the restaurant a block away to which the campground gave me a discount coupon. The food was very good but I had a hard time deciding because I was so hungry everything looked good. It is now 8 pm and the sun still has about an hour until it sets. This has taken some getting used to since arriving in Missoula.

The title refers to a restaurant I rode by on my ride today. It had pictures and all.

Missoula By Bicycle

As you can see, I have been making changes on my site. Part of this is due to having the time to do it. Another part is currently having access to a computer. I have added a statistics box to allow people to see my progress a little easier. The mileage is most likely not 100% accurate. I'm using a wireless computer and I try to change the batteries regularly, but I feel that I don't always get it done in time. I have also added a link to a Google Maps map that I am working on. It is not fully up to date, not all the locations are accurate if you zoom in, and the icons are still being changed. I also plan on adding route lines to allow you to see highways I have travelled. Currently it shows you roughly my route around the country and has most of my nightly locations highlighted. I will continue to work on this as time and computer access allow, so stay tuned for updates.

FREE DAY

Yesterday I took a free day in Missoula. My hosts here had a friend who was turning 30 and planned a 30 mile bike ride, hoping for 30 riders, along which they would visit the three local breweries. He ended up getting 30 riders. I was allowed to tag along and so spent the day "resting," which was partly the case since I had very little gear attached. We started out at the birthday boy's house and rode for roughly 20 miles before coming to the first brewery. I was able to see a lot of Missoula that I would normally not have been able to see or know about. We rode some beautiful roads and had very few hills, all at a relaxing pace. We visited Big Sky, Kettle House, and Bayern and had a brief stint at each before heading to the next one. There was a lot of good socializing going on and I met a lot of neat people and many wanted to hear about my trip. The day ended by meeting back at his house and having a grilling session along with live music. Many people were Environmental Law students, since that was his field of study at the University.

Today is another free day and I spent it working on my bike and trying to relax a bit. I haven't decided yet if I am going to ride every day to Douglas, WY, or if I am going to take a free day along the way and split the trip in half. The weather has been beautiful and makes me think I might take another break if location allows.

The Road From Walla Walla by Pics

The visitor's center at Lolo Pass, elev 5235
Downhill into Montana
The yellow sign is a very favorable sign
James, the cyclist I met headed east

The Lochsa Lodge
Our rustic cabin in the woods
Riding along the Lochsa River
The view from my tent along the Lochsa River
Riding the Clearwater River
Kamiah (cam-ee-eye) city park stage along highway 12 on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation
An earlier view along the Clearwater River just east of Lewiston, ID
Idaho, along the Snake River
The pass before an incredible downhill with speeds nearing 50mph
Lewis and Clark Trail State Park along the Touchet River in Washington, just behind my campsite

You Have A Big Climb Coming Up

Those were the words I constantly heard all the way up to Lolo Pass. The truth is - it wasn't that bad. A mere 1,600 feet over 13 miles. Not much compared to the other climbs on my ride.

Last night was a peaceful sleep in a peaceful location. I awoke somewhat early and was soon packed and ready to go. I left around 8 and met a couple of British cyclists coming down. They started on mountain time and therefore made it over a bit before me. I was still probably the first headed east.

I forgot to fill my water before I left so I was on empty to start the day. I didn't want to turn around after I realized it because that was more climbing. I therefore resolved that once I found an accessible spot on the river I would fill up and use my chlorine drops. I only filled one bottle. That got me to the visitors center at the pass where I was able to fill up a couple more.

At the center I talked with a young couple with a 1 1/2 yr old girl named charlotte. She was entertaining and the couple was curious about the cyclists they see on the road and what their stories are.

I soon headed on and had a great initial 4 mile downhill that allowed me to get to almost 40mph. Then it was a very mild ride all the way to missoula. I stopped for a break in Lolo and a girl was looking at me with a grin so I said hi and she giggled and said she liked my sunglasses. They had my mirror attachment on. I got to missoula and called the people I was staying with and then headed there. I got the tour, cleaned up, and then have just been relaxing and sharing stories. I'm gonna stay here for a couple days and then start a six day ride across big sky country to my midway state.

Cruisin' On Highway 12

I have wifi tonight, though I haven't had phone reception for the last couple days. As I mentioned last post, I have company for the portion of the trip from Washington to Missoula. We have shared campsites every night and tonight the last three campgrounds were closed and the next open one was two miles out of the way. We considered going there or finding a place in the woods. We were at a resort type area that had little camping cabins and decided, just for fun, to see what the rates were. It turned out to be fairly affordable, had two beds, and a restaurant on site so we decided to stay. I just finished up having a great bison burger and salad and fries. It is in a lodge of golden pine logs with a beautiful gas fireplace in the center of the room and game mounts and rugs decorating the walls. We are surrounded by forest and far enough from the highway to hear not a sound. The staff is very friendly and welcoming of our cycling tales and metabolism.

Yesterday I decided I was going to have a long ride day to try and make the next couple of days shorter, since we would be going over Lolo Pass. The ride was a pleasant winding road next to the Clearwater River and didn't have as much traffic as usual. The shoulder was sporadic and nonexistent at times, but averaged out to a foot or two wide most of the day. The traffic was generally friendly. Shorly after the day started the layers came off. For part of the day I was even able to ride without a shirt. Most of the ride was across the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. This followed much of the Lewis and Clark trail and had waypoints along the way.

The campground last night was amazing. We were the only ones there and it only cost $5 total. We were camped on an embankment over the middle fork of the Clearwater and the stream drowned the sound of the traffic throughout the night. There was a glorious white sand beach at the foot of five steps leading down to the river right next to the tent. I ate my meal here with the sound of the mild rapids and the quiet washing of the waves from the eddy washing onto the beach. The last of the suns rays cast down and kept me warm before the heat was lost behind the pines to the west. My tent was set upon a luxuriant bed of pine needles which added to the comfort of my sleeping pad. Between that and the soothing sounds of the river, it was one of my most restful nights sleep. Over the 101 miles ridden this day we only gained 600 ft in elevation.

Today the ride continued along the river. We changed to the Lochsa river and soon began seeing rapids, which a small number of people were shooting today. Later along in the day I came upon a couple in a van that asked me about my trip. The driver was getting ready to do a cross country trip this July. They informed me that there were hot springs down the trail we were by. They told me it would be a great side trip and since it was 1:30 and I only had ten more miles to go, I decided to give it a try. I found them and stayed for about 20 minutes then headed back. It was real restful and relaxed my legs. There was no one around and it was picturesque, having a pool surrounded by rocks with beautiful pine and spruce surrounding the hill sides and a rolling mountain stream sounding peacefully in the background.

I soon returned to the road and began riding again. A trucker shortly passed me and pulled off at the next pullout. He got out and started checking his truck and then waved when I went by. I nodded back and continued on for a few yards when a thought struck me and I turned back. The truck was white pulling a tanker trailer and had NORCO on the side. This was the type of truck the brother of the family I stayed in Bend with drove. I met him one night when he came for a visit. It turned out it was him. We talked for a bit and he took my pic by his truck. He offered to take me over the pass, but I declined for a few reasons, one of which being James coming along behind me.

The weather has been in the 70s and the sun has been shining and very little wind has been blowing. It couldn't be more perfect for summiting a pass. I believe I will probably be the first cyclist to do the pass this year. We are a bit early for the season, so many things are closed and potable water isn't prevalent. I believe I have figured my route across Montana and Wyoming now, so it should be a pleasant trip to Douglas.

Company

Yesterday afternoon another cyclist strolled in to the campground to check it out and took a break and decided to stay. Turns out we were riding the same direction and decided to ride together today. He is on a loop from Chicago to san Diego and back and is currently on his way back.

The ride today was great, with a 15mph tail wind and a great 5 mi downhill that got speeds upwards of 45 mph. The day was sunny and the company nice. We got to clarkston, wa and went to the visitors center and they were very helpful. They had Idaho and Montana maps and gave us campground guides for hwy 12.

Not much else to post right now.

Exploration

I am working my way back across the union and am camping at a place where Lewis and Clark went through on their return journey. I am leaning against a downed tree along the Touchet river in southeastern Washington state.

Across the river are ferns of every color of green. This is a swift flowing river right now that has places of rapids that make a smooth gurgling sound. Birds of all types are singing before the impending rainstorm comes. The sky is an ash gray and resembles smoke from a wet fire slowly flowing overhead. Sparrows dart all around me and over my head then skim the waters surface and swiftly and gracefully dart above a felled tree in the water.

Earlier a hummingbird fluttered under my tarp and sounded like a giant bee before I realized what was there. It then perched on a branch and tried to look in every direction at once - natures ADD animal. Robins walked the ground near me and all seems oblivious to my presence.

From this location I can't make out the sounds of the highway. The long blast from the semi that went by me as I turned in here seems ages ago. I can visualize Lewis and Clark and their group exploring this unknown frontier. They hear the same sounds I do and have seen many of the same trees I have. I had similar visions at the Deschutes river - the last river crossing of the Oregon trail. A trail that was heavily used merely 150 years ago on wagons and livestock, without the amenities of graded roads, a/c, and rv's.

It reminds me that it was the toils of those people and their vision of things greater than themselves that made our nation what it is and gave them the character admired by so many. I often feel it is the lack of similar toils that make us nowadays not so stubborn or interested in the forming of our still young nation and the lack of commitment in so many realms, including family.

An experience like mine will undeniably build character in the one who partakes it. I'm not saying mine is the only type of experience that will do this. Working in outdoor leadership I see it all the time when people are challenged and pushed outside their comfort zones. I hope I never become so comfortable I grow stagnate. Ok...enough philosophy.

The ride today was short and through picturesque rolling hills with beautiful white clouds and blue skies. Behind me, however, a storm was brewing and those skies eventually grew gray. The wonderful part about that was the tailwind I had. It made the ride a lot faster than I had originally planned.

My time in Walla Walla was enjoyable and I had a great time getting to know my hosts and share stories of the road. They did a mom, dad, daughter, son tour on two tandem bikes across the northern US a couple of years ago and had a great time. They showed me a slide show the dad had put together and it was great. I am currently filled with a renewed energy to continue on and can only hope and pray it stays and gets me through the next few mountain passes I have before the plains.