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.