After 6 weeks on the road, I'm back in the fold again. I returned Sunday night about 8:30. My day started just south of Indianapolis at 6:30. Made me long for some time on the bike. Feel like a toad for sitting so long. At least I was able to listen to some music to make the miles easier to endure.
Surreal. That's the best way for me to sum up "The Journey " right now. If I hadn't blogged the experience, I'm not so sure I would have believed it myself. Capturing an all consuming experience is , I don't know, artistry? Poetry? Madness? Humor? A touch of all the above. Writing. Yeah. That's it. My entries were honest and not meant to be mean spirited. Long days in the saddle will take its toll on your head though.The journey itself? That's another story.
2,200 miles. 37 days. That's 59.5 miles per day including rest days (2). We traversed Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and halfway into Minnesota. Adventure? Sure. Work? Absolutely! Lots of it. That's fine. The human effort is a huge part of the equation. The challenge is what you make of it.
Fun? Depends on how you define fun. I'll get to that later.
It could certainly be, and was a grind. A very long and consuming grind. Churning out mile after endless mile was less than magical at times. There were times when you just want to pull over to the side of the road and call AAA to be towed away. Didn't matter where, just away. Your butt hurts. Your groin goes numb. Again. You stand in your pedals as you coast to let the circulation return. Don't stop. Gotta keep moving. Hands search the handlebars hoping to find a comfortable new spot to use to relieve the pressure on the tired prehensile portion of your upper limb. The back of your neck and head aches from having to look up all the time. Stay alert or be ready to pay a price for your inattentive moment. Cracks and potholes lurk in the zone between the light and the shadows. Quirky aches and pains bark at you from unsuspecting parts of you anatomy that are normally silent. Will this, too pass or is that part about to explode? Yep. This was the kind of dark matter that can overtake your soul if you let it. Let's take a look on the sunny side.
No. Wait. We have yet another climb ahead. Reach down and slide the unclicking levers into position. Ah. That's right. The resistance on the pedals increases as your feet spin not unlike how a maestro uses his baton to conduct the symphony. Your fingers just know what position the shift levers need to be in to Effortlessly. Without much thought. The levers respond to the touch your subconscious sends them. The cacophony of the chain and the mechanism of the drive train start to work in harmony with your collage of muscles and sinew to drive the load up the slope.
The burn in the legs change. It's more a message that work is being done rather than being overworked.The breathing becomes less labored and more laboring. A fine distinction, I understand. As in a labor of love. The corner is being turned. Ache isn't really pain. It's too fleeting and telling of effort. Effort isn't effortless. The reward is making itself known through return for effort. The bike is really moving now. The suffering brings on its rewards. Much like the downhill after the uphill. Positive thoughts are paramount if you want to succeed and move forward. It's a long way to the goal line.
I suppose a rider can suffer and be miserable yet still drive on. That's not a place I would want to go. Sure. Suffering is part of the game. This works only if some reward is at hand. And that, I believe, is what makes it all worthwhile. And, fun.
I had a number of phone conversations with my dear mother over the journey. She worries too much. But I was happy to share with her my ups and downs. She was mostly glad that I was doing well and still had a pulse. One keen observation she offered, I paraphrase, this will all improve with time. She's right, of course. Looking back has a way of putting it all in perspective. Some things just improve with time. Wine. Whiskey. Love. Hmmm. Is there a relationship here? Nah. Just a coincidence. I do look forward to the opportunity to share a cold one with my friends and family in the not too distant future. The rest of my friends, a toast to you the next time I'm imbibing!
My plan. Next summer, my wife and I will team up with Bill and Sandy and ride from the west coast eastward. Not sure about everyone else and how far they plan to ride, but if all goes according to plan, I'll be heading to Bermidji. Stay tuned.
Thanks for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
Take care out there.
Cheers!
KPW
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
responses
I will post/add responses from time to time. Thanks for writing me. It's been a joy for me. KPW
+ Hello Kim - I tried to post a comment on your blog but we don't have accounts with any of the profiles.
I wanted to say that we have followed your blog, joined in the laughter and shared in the sadness of the departure of Steve and Gay.
Reading it has lessened the distance and separation we have felt with Fred. Thank you for sharing so generously.
Fred's family in New Zealand
Day 37 Bar Harbor, Maine to Bemidji, Minnesota and Done
Stick a fork in me. I'm done!! A bittersweet day. It's been a good run up to Bemidji, home of Paul Bunyon and the Ox Blue Babe. The two of them are bigger than life characters, literally and figuratively. My culminating photo of this little adventure is one of me standing in front of the massive figures in front of the visitor center. The figures date to 1937. I remember reading about the two of them as a child. Pretty cool see them in their habitat.
We left Walker at the reasonable hour of 7:30 this morning. We quickly found our way back over to the Paul Bunyon Trail and headed north. The terrain remained the same as it had been for the past 60 miles. Pastoral. Scenic. Relaxing. We rode side by side the whole way. Shooting the breeze about the past, present and future. Even as the rain threatened, the miles flew by. We have 4 things in mind for Bermidji. 1. Lunch. ✅ 2. Bike shop to pick up Gay's new Brooks saddle. ✅ 3. KOA Campground ✅ 4. Airport with car rental Not yet. That's tomorrow. We're hunkered down in a dry place right now because it's raining with gusto now. At least we got to Bemidji before the heavens opened up.
Gay has 1,940 miles remaining to the end of the Northern Tier in Washington State north of Seattle.
Total mileage today = 42
Total mileage ridden by yours truly = 2,197 (This excludes tooling around after we reach the days destination and quality lost time.)
Total route mileage according to the Adventure Cycling Association closer to 2,350 (We took a couple of shortcuts in part so I could get to the car rental place by Friday as it's not open on the weekends. Go figure. Small town )
I expect to log in 2 more posts before I close out this adventure. I very much look forward to returning home to my wife, daughter, son (when he returns from his stint in Philadelphia with TFA) & cats. Of course I look forward to seeing the rest of my family and friends, too.
Should you be interested in writing to me as you don't have a Google account to leave a message on the blog, please use my google email with my user name of kpwhit Be aware that I may post your message unless you ask me not to or if you want me to post it anonymously. This is all for fun. I'd enjoy hearing from you.
Cheers.
KPW
We left Walker at the reasonable hour of 7:30 this morning. We quickly found our way back over to the Paul Bunyon Trail and headed north. The terrain remained the same as it had been for the past 60 miles. Pastoral. Scenic. Relaxing. We rode side by side the whole way. Shooting the breeze about the past, present and future. Even as the rain threatened, the miles flew by. We have 4 things in mind for Bermidji. 1. Lunch. ✅ 2. Bike shop to pick up Gay's new Brooks saddle. ✅ 3. KOA Campground ✅ 4. Airport with car rental Not yet. That's tomorrow. We're hunkered down in a dry place right now because it's raining with gusto now. At least we got to Bemidji before the heavens opened up.
Gay has 1,940 miles remaining to the end of the Northern Tier in Washington State north of Seattle.
Total mileage today = 42
Total mileage ridden by yours truly = 2,197 (This excludes tooling around after we reach the days destination and quality lost time.)
Total route mileage according to the Adventure Cycling Association closer to 2,350 (We took a couple of shortcuts in part so I could get to the car rental place by Friday as it's not open on the weekends. Go figure. Small town )
I expect to log in 2 more posts before I close out this adventure. I very much look forward to returning home to my wife, daughter, son (when he returns from his stint in Philadelphia with TFA) & cats. Of course I look forward to seeing the rest of my family and friends, too.
Should you be interested in writing to me as you don't have a Google account to leave a message on the blog, please use my google email with my user name of kpwhit Be aware that I may post your message unless you ask me not to or if you want me to post it anonymously. This is all for fun. I'd enjoy hearing from you.
Cheers.
KPW
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Day 36 So Long Fred
Brainerd is a busy town for just 12,000+ inhabitants. For a change, I had the opportunity to explore the area around where we stayed. The mall was a disappointment. Nothing to see here. Keep moving. Seems the Mills Family has its fingers in a lot of pots in town. It's pretty classy places, too. One , for lack of a better word, department store, Fleet and Farm. I think, had a myriad of goods. Groceries, bulk foods, hardware, clothing, northern style goods and more. Could have just wondered the isles looking at stuff. Time to move on after I bought a small folding magnifying glass for map reading.
Nearby, I went into a gun and archery store. Mills, of course. Nice place. Great selection of firearms and ammo. Didn't check out the firing range. Did check out the bow range. Had an interesting arrangement. Standing targets of animals spread around the range. Only target arrows could be used. Very strict use protocol. Looked like fun. I have little modern experience with bow and arrows.
Today we got up and had breakfast. Coffee was terrible. Food. Ok. Good enough.
Our first stop would be Nisswa, about 15 miles from the beginning of the day's ride. The road was just a road with wide enough shoulders. Nisswa had a suitable place for a cuppa joe. Right behind the stop is the trail we want to take, and it leads us all the way to Bemidji tomorrow. The Paul Bunyon State Trail.
The PB Trail is over 120 miles long making it the longest of its type in the country. I'm not sure but it has the rail to trail feel. It's paved the entire way. It's part of a wider trail system in the state of Minnesota. It's used by snowmobiles during the winter but off limits to other off road vehicles. The trail was in excellent condition. The grass was cut. Lots of wildflowers and water ways. Occasional benches and towns touched the way, too.
Not long after we started on the PB Trail, Fred took the lead. Before long, he was out of sight. Not many turns to worry about. We'll catch up later. At the village of Baccus, there was a shelter with water and tables. There he was sitting and eating. We sat for a while and talked. Now seemed like a good time to part ways.
You see, I'm departing from this little adventure from Bermidji. I'm not a consideration any more. A short timer. I had planned to ride for about 6 weeks or so. Bermidji seems to be a fitting destination. I can get a rental car here for my return journey. (Note: It's cheaper than flying especially considering shipping the bike. Airfare is approaching $900 not including the bike transport.) Besides, how else could I even remember the name of this place without it being a destination!
Gay wants to take a little time off to rest (he's still nursing an Achilles injury) and do some things like get a new saddle and see the headwaters ether Mississippi River. Again. He also wants to slow the pace of the journey some. You see, it's about the journey, not the destination. Fred is compelled to keep up his pace and stick with his plan. No worries. No animosity. Just a different agenda. Life goes on.
We said our farewells and topped it off with a handshake. Fred rode off into the distance. He's a good man. Intelligent. Driven. I'm glad I got to know him. I wish him well.
We hung around the shelter for a long while because we ended up meeting a couple of day cyclists. It ends up Gay and the couple know some of the same people from Denise's family. Gay will have to tell that story. Small world.
After we left there, lunch was on our minds. Not many options. The village of Hackensack it is! A number of options were available. We chose a diner called "Vittles and Joe", like coffee. Perfect. Good burgers.
We had called the only campground outside the destination of Walker. Since it was a few miles past town, it's good to confirm available space, or heck, to make sure it's even still open before making a commitment. Gay left a message.
We spent the rest of the ride mostly riding side by side telling stories to pass the time. The PB Trail is a good way to go .
By the time we get to Walker, still no return call. We opted for a motel. 3 hours after we checked in, we got the call. No thanks. They've got to work on their timing. Tomorrow night, we'll be in a KOA in Bermidji, MN.
Total mileage today = 75
Total mileage to date = 2,107
Thanks for following us on this journey.
Life is the journey we make it to be.
I will be writing at least 3 more entries before signing off.
Cheers.
KPW
Nearby, I went into a gun and archery store. Mills, of course. Nice place. Great selection of firearms and ammo. Didn't check out the firing range. Did check out the bow range. Had an interesting arrangement. Standing targets of animals spread around the range. Only target arrows could be used. Very strict use protocol. Looked like fun. I have little modern experience with bow and arrows.
Today we got up and had breakfast. Coffee was terrible. Food. Ok. Good enough.
Our first stop would be Nisswa, about 15 miles from the beginning of the day's ride. The road was just a road with wide enough shoulders. Nisswa had a suitable place for a cuppa joe. Right behind the stop is the trail we want to take, and it leads us all the way to Bemidji tomorrow. The Paul Bunyon State Trail.
The PB Trail is over 120 miles long making it the longest of its type in the country. I'm not sure but it has the rail to trail feel. It's paved the entire way. It's part of a wider trail system in the state of Minnesota. It's used by snowmobiles during the winter but off limits to other off road vehicles. The trail was in excellent condition. The grass was cut. Lots of wildflowers and water ways. Occasional benches and towns touched the way, too.
Not long after we started on the PB Trail, Fred took the lead. Before long, he was out of sight. Not many turns to worry about. We'll catch up later. At the village of Baccus, there was a shelter with water and tables. There he was sitting and eating. We sat for a while and talked. Now seemed like a good time to part ways.
You see, I'm departing from this little adventure from Bermidji. I'm not a consideration any more. A short timer. I had planned to ride for about 6 weeks or so. Bermidji seems to be a fitting destination. I can get a rental car here for my return journey. (Note: It's cheaper than flying especially considering shipping the bike. Airfare is approaching $900 not including the bike transport.) Besides, how else could I even remember the name of this place without it being a destination!
Gay wants to take a little time off to rest (he's still nursing an Achilles injury) and do some things like get a new saddle and see the headwaters ether Mississippi River. Again. He also wants to slow the pace of the journey some. You see, it's about the journey, not the destination. Fred is compelled to keep up his pace and stick with his plan. No worries. No animosity. Just a different agenda. Life goes on.
We said our farewells and topped it off with a handshake. Fred rode off into the distance. He's a good man. Intelligent. Driven. I'm glad I got to know him. I wish him well.
We hung around the shelter for a long while because we ended up meeting a couple of day cyclists. It ends up Gay and the couple know some of the same people from Denise's family. Gay will have to tell that story. Small world.
After we left there, lunch was on our minds. Not many options. The village of Hackensack it is! A number of options were available. We chose a diner called "Vittles and Joe", like coffee. Perfect. Good burgers.
We had called the only campground outside the destination of Walker. Since it was a few miles past town, it's good to confirm available space, or heck, to make sure it's even still open before making a commitment. Gay left a message.
We spent the rest of the ride mostly riding side by side telling stories to pass the time. The PB Trail is a good way to go .
By the time we get to Walker, still no return call. We opted for a motel. 3 hours after we checked in, we got the call. No thanks. They've got to work on their timing. Tomorrow night, we'll be in a KOA in Bermidji, MN.
Total mileage today = 75
Total mileage to date = 2,107
Thanks for following us on this journey.
Life is the journey we make it to be.
I will be writing at least 3 more entries before signing off.
Cheers.
KPW
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Day 35 Landmark Day
Our first full day in Minnesota has been filled with landmark events for moi. We departed the very nice campground at Isle about 6:20 am. No matter how early I get up and ready in the morning, the two of them are always waiting... Sigh. Anyway, before we left Isle, we stopped into a convenience store for a cup of coffee. I need that little jolt to get me to Garrison, located on the northwest corner of Mille Lacs Lake. We started on the southeast corner.
So you see that this is not a small lake. We end up traveling its shoreline for 17+ miles. The road was fairly flat with some noticeable undulations. The grades were long and gradual. More noticeable were the winds. I enjoyed the slightl cooling effect of wind off the water. Being we traveled around the lake, the wind direction varied. It went from tail to side to slightly at the head. No worries though. The flags were barely fluttering.
Garrison was still a welcome site. The town of Brainerd was 30 miles away. I needed sustenance. For a town with only 172 residents, Garrison had options. The convenience store, Wawa style, did the trick. A breakfast sandwich hit me spot. We were back on the road in a jiffy.
More undulations ahead. The three of us spread out a bit so each of us could see the road better. Several sections had cracks that could cause problems if you hit them wrong. You can't see through the person in front of you. They can't possibly convey the road conditions ahead. So, hang back and choose your own pathway. This is especially important when the shoulders are narrow or non existent. No worries. We sail into Brainerd. Next up. Bike shop.
Fred's shoes were a wreck. They were delaminating and ready for an EPA Superfund site. A new cassette is in order to help the old guy crawl up the impending mountains. He got new shoes and a cassette (with a 36. He had a 32 I think. Not sure about the front chainring.)
Gay is having saddle challenges. His Brooks is taking on new proportions. If it's taking the shape of his butt, he sure has a flat on one side. He will have to figure that out for himself. He ended up buying a new saddle and installing it. He still trying to fix his Brooks though. As for me, I have spent enough time in bike shops this trip. So everything is just hunky-dory with me.
We left the bike shop and went to lunch. Then we had to get to a motel. There are no campgrounds in the area. The next town 17 miles north was full. Finding a room anywhere is a real challenge because of all the power crews out here restoring power from the Storm that passed through the area two days ago. Glad we missed that experience. We got the last room available!
On the way, I got a cheap thrill. I crossed over the Mississippi River. Gay and Fred weren't moved. A few years ago, Gay rode the entire length of the river, so I can understand his relative disinterest. Fred, well, I'm not so sure why he had no interest. You Kiwis will have to ask him when you see him.
The inn was just a little ways down the road. The other cool mark Fred and I crossed today was the 2,000 mile mark! That's actual distance covered. Since we have taken a couple of shortcuts, so I can get to Bermidji before the weekend, we have probably travelled closer to 2,150 route miles. (remember Gay had to stop and drive from Rochester New York to otter Lake,Michigan while he was recovering.)
Brainerd is a big town. Malls. Banks. Stores galore. And lots of traffic. Ugh. Tomorrow we will be on the Paul Bunyon Trail towards Bemidji.
Total mileage today = 54
Total mileage to date = 2,034
Thanks yet again for reading my blog. I have to admit, this has been kinda fun.
Cheers.
KPW
Monday, July 13, 2015
Day 34 From the Laundry Room to the Isle
Just a 10 minute walk from the campsite was the Danbury casino. Actually the camp is owned by the casino. The wifi said "casino guest". Anyway, we strolled there for the buffet that was advertised at camp. $9.99 for all a hungry biker could eat, including drinks. No, not the adult kind. To get there, we had to pass a huge fireworks store. It's probably owned by the casino as well.
The casino itself is a huge building. It houses a hotel, restaurants, bars and of course the casino area itself. We eventually found the buffet. It was well worth the money. I will leave it at that. After dinner we wandered around the casino area. Lots of one armed bandit kinds of machines. As well as all the usual gambling stuff. My least favorite part was the smoking in the place. It did not make me want to hang around and lose some of my money. I'm not much for gambling anyway. We left the climate controlled area and went back to camp.
We hit the tents for the night. I learned that storms were inevitable last night. Fred packed up and moved into the building next to camp. It had a nice and clean laundry area. I scoffed at moving indoors because of the storm. These tents are made for such things. What they are not made for it sweltering heat. I sat in the tent fanning myself for an hour. I had sweat dripping down the back of my neck. I couldn't take it anymore. I packed up and moved into the laundry room. It had two fans that at least circulated some air. I laid on top of my Thermarest and bag liner with a promise of actually getting some sleep.
Later in the night, the storm came in with all its fury as expected. I got up to witness the delivery. It didn't keep me awake long. In the morning, I checked the tent. It was wet on the outside, but dry inside. No surprise. Gay said the storm dropped the temperature a lot. My first bivouac in a laundry room. No regrets.
We were up and out by 6:30. Got coffee at the restaurant across from the casino. Then we headed to Hinckley, 31 miles away. The western side of Danbury was given the appearance of a old prospecting town. The only thing missing were the cancan girls. It was only 7:00 so they were sleeping, I'm sure. 31 miles of rolling hills, it was. Not anything that caused me to use the small chainring, but hilly.
The ride was scenic. Farms. Fields. Lakes. Wildflowers. Good roads with shoulders, for the most part.
We stopped in Hinckley for food. It was before 10. Fred and Gay had lunch. I had breakfast. Talking with the server, she said they had high wind, heavy rain and large hail yesterday. When we left town, we noticed some trees and limbs down. Like I said in yesterday's blog. The Force was with us and it was strong!
The next town would be our destination. Isle.
The next 20 miles went pretty well. The hills were not challenging. The roads were flatter. Then the dreaded last 9 miles entered into the equation. I should've had another pancake. The miles dragged on. Then, the campground popped up out of nowhere.
As most camps, it's an RV haven, with a pool. The owner met us outside and joked around for a while & sharing stories. He gave us our site at 1/2 price! We didn't even ask for a deal. Actually Isle is a few miles away. The owner even went to the store for us for perishables. He put them in a frig and told us how to get in because he wasn't about to get up at 6 to let us in. Smart man.
We cooked our famous one pot meals. As I was finishing, a storm blew in and I dove for the tent with the balance of my dinner. I'd do dishes after the storm passed.
Done.
Total miles today = 60
Total mileage to date = 1,980
Thanks for following us.
Cheers.
KPW
The casino itself is a huge building. It houses a hotel, restaurants, bars and of course the casino area itself. We eventually found the buffet. It was well worth the money. I will leave it at that. After dinner we wandered around the casino area. Lots of one armed bandit kinds of machines. As well as all the usual gambling stuff. My least favorite part was the smoking in the place. It did not make me want to hang around and lose some of my money. I'm not much for gambling anyway. We left the climate controlled area and went back to camp.
We hit the tents for the night. I learned that storms were inevitable last night. Fred packed up and moved into the building next to camp. It had a nice and clean laundry area. I scoffed at moving indoors because of the storm. These tents are made for such things. What they are not made for it sweltering heat. I sat in the tent fanning myself for an hour. I had sweat dripping down the back of my neck. I couldn't take it anymore. I packed up and moved into the laundry room. It had two fans that at least circulated some air. I laid on top of my Thermarest and bag liner with a promise of actually getting some sleep.
Later in the night, the storm came in with all its fury as expected. I got up to witness the delivery. It didn't keep me awake long. In the morning, I checked the tent. It was wet on the outside, but dry inside. No surprise. Gay said the storm dropped the temperature a lot. My first bivouac in a laundry room. No regrets.
We were up and out by 6:30. Got coffee at the restaurant across from the casino. Then we headed to Hinckley, 31 miles away. The western side of Danbury was given the appearance of a old prospecting town. The only thing missing were the cancan girls. It was only 7:00 so they were sleeping, I'm sure. 31 miles of rolling hills, it was. Not anything that caused me to use the small chainring, but hilly.
The ride was scenic. Farms. Fields. Lakes. Wildflowers. Good roads with shoulders, for the most part.
We stopped in Hinckley for food. It was before 10. Fred and Gay had lunch. I had breakfast. Talking with the server, she said they had high wind, heavy rain and large hail yesterday. When we left town, we noticed some trees and limbs down. Like I said in yesterday's blog. The Force was with us and it was strong!
The next town would be our destination. Isle.
The next 20 miles went pretty well. The hills were not challenging. The roads were flatter. Then the dreaded last 9 miles entered into the equation. I should've had another pancake. The miles dragged on. Then, the campground popped up out of nowhere.
As most camps, it's an RV haven, with a pool. The owner met us outside and joked around for a while & sharing stories. He gave us our site at 1/2 price! We didn't even ask for a deal. Actually Isle is a few miles away. The owner even went to the store for us for perishables. He put them in a frig and told us how to get in because he wasn't about to get up at 6 to let us in. Smart man.
We cooked our famous one pot meals. As I was finishing, a storm blew in and I dove for the tent with the balance of my dinner. I'd do dishes after the storm passed.
Done.
Total miles today = 60
Total mileage to date = 1,980
Thanks for following us.
Cheers.
KPW
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Day 33 Mourning Morning & The Force
Fred, Gay and I set a new course today varying some from the N T route. Ultimately this will shave time and distance from the cross country trek. Steve wanted to stay the course so after much internal debate over the past day or so he decided to go his own way. We said our goodbyes and swallowed hard. No doubt our homes are open for visiting each other.
Steve is a good guy. Let me make a little pitch for the cause for which he rides. EOD Wounded Warriors out of San Diego. Rather than try to reword his mission, I will post a link to his page, should you be interested in helping them.
http://burkeonbike.tumblr.com/post/120461777950/dear-friends-on-may-20-i-was-in-a-hotel-room-in
I wish Steve Godspeed and good luck with his mission.
I was chatting with Fred as we were riding along about how it felt a bit like mourning after saying goodbye to our compatriot. But we all just continue to roll on down the road. I know it will be my turn to depart in just a few days. Stay tuned.
The day looks to be long if we are to reach a campground. There are only a few small towns along the way to boot. The first town is about 24 miles from the start. Anytime I don't get much to eat before we set out, the start seems long. Before we got to the first town, we met a guy touring solo in the opposite direction. He had been on the road since May 5! That's a long time to me. He's averaging about 32 miles per day. This is proof any one can do it! (We're averaging about 60.) He looked happy and was glad to meet us.
Well, I survived to Hayward. Fred and I had pancakes and coffee. I felt much better after that. Good food always improves the attitude. Makes the riding that much better. About 30 miles later, we were in Minong. Not in SE Asia but Wisconsin. We make stops in most towns we come across to get out of the saddle for a while. It's true your tush suffers after a spell. You need to get your weight off the key parts for a while to fully restore circulation. Getting a cold drink and a snack doesn't hurt either.
At this stage, a truck driver alerted us to an incoming storm. I checked the weather on my phone. Sure enough. Heavy rains. High winds. Damaging hail. Perfect.
We secure our loads. Keep the rain gear handy and move west. After a while, a few sprinkles begin. I look at sky. Hmm. This is odd. The storm is ... splitting up. I look at the weather once more and notice that the radar showed exactly that. We had storms to the north and south of us. Only thing to take away from that is The Force must be with us and it's strong. It hasn't rained so far.
One little hiccup. I have my GoPro camera mounted on my acrobars. Been there since day one. Can capture video without stopping. Well, all of a sudden, when I hit one of the millions of road cracks, the camera mount just snaps off and the camera goes tumbling down the road!! Of course I stop and pick it up. The camera had a few scars on the housing, but otherwise it seemed ok. Will learn about GoPro warranty on my return home. It's only 6 weeks old.
We arrived at Danbury, WI after 1:00. The day was long in the saddle but we had a following wind and excellent road conditions all day. It was pretty flat with only gentle rolling hills. My kind of riding.
We stopped for lunch and figured out where the campground was. 0.2 miles away was perfect. Danbury, population 172, is a Border town with Minnesota. The campground is on the river that separates WI from MN. The fee is only $10 and includes showers and a pool. Best deal so far. Nice folks, too.
Total riding mileage today = 75
Total mileage so far = 1,920
Thanks for following us and I hope I'm not too boring with my stories.
Cheers.
KPW
Steve is a good guy. Let me make a little pitch for the cause for which he rides. EOD Wounded Warriors out of San Diego. Rather than try to reword his mission, I will post a link to his page, should you be interested in helping them.
http://burkeonbike.tumblr.com/post/120461777950/dear-friends-on-may-20-i-was-in-a-hotel-room-in
I wish Steve Godspeed and good luck with his mission.
I was chatting with Fred as we were riding along about how it felt a bit like mourning after saying goodbye to our compatriot. But we all just continue to roll on down the road. I know it will be my turn to depart in just a few days. Stay tuned.
The day looks to be long if we are to reach a campground. There are only a few small towns along the way to boot. The first town is about 24 miles from the start. Anytime I don't get much to eat before we set out, the start seems long. Before we got to the first town, we met a guy touring solo in the opposite direction. He had been on the road since May 5! That's a long time to me. He's averaging about 32 miles per day. This is proof any one can do it! (We're averaging about 60.) He looked happy and was glad to meet us.
Well, I survived to Hayward. Fred and I had pancakes and coffee. I felt much better after that. Good food always improves the attitude. Makes the riding that much better. About 30 miles later, we were in Minong. Not in SE Asia but Wisconsin. We make stops in most towns we come across to get out of the saddle for a while. It's true your tush suffers after a spell. You need to get your weight off the key parts for a while to fully restore circulation. Getting a cold drink and a snack doesn't hurt either.
At this stage, a truck driver alerted us to an incoming storm. I checked the weather on my phone. Sure enough. Heavy rains. High winds. Damaging hail. Perfect.
We secure our loads. Keep the rain gear handy and move west. After a while, a few sprinkles begin. I look at sky. Hmm. This is odd. The storm is ... splitting up. I look at the weather once more and notice that the radar showed exactly that. We had storms to the north and south of us. Only thing to take away from that is The Force must be with us and it's strong. It hasn't rained so far.
One little hiccup. I have my GoPro camera mounted on my acrobars. Been there since day one. Can capture video without stopping. Well, all of a sudden, when I hit one of the millions of road cracks, the camera mount just snaps off and the camera goes tumbling down the road!! Of course I stop and pick it up. The camera had a few scars on the housing, but otherwise it seemed ok. Will learn about GoPro warranty on my return home. It's only 6 weeks old.
We arrived at Danbury, WI after 1:00. The day was long in the saddle but we had a following wind and excellent road conditions all day. It was pretty flat with only gentle rolling hills. My kind of riding.
We stopped for lunch and figured out where the campground was. 0.2 miles away was perfect. Danbury, population 172, is a Border town with Minnesota. The campground is on the river that separates WI from MN. The fee is only $10 and includes showers and a pool. Best deal so far. Nice folks, too.
Total riding mileage today = 75
Total mileage so far = 1,920
Thanks for following us and I hope I'm not too boring with my stories.
Cheers.
KPW
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Day 32 A Great Surprise
Mam oh man. That was a comfortable bed I crashed in last night. It was a little dive of s motel. The Looney Bin inn perhaps. Actually it was well kept and very clean. Steve and Fred shared a room and Gay and I had a room. Steve and I went to breakfast at 6. Gay and Fred joined us later. We were on the road by 6:45. Destination is Clam Lake, or actually a campground 10 miles west of CL.
The day was going smoothly. The roads were pretty quiet given it was a Saturday morning. For miles we only saw a few cars and most were pulling a boat trailer.
Our first stop was 31 miles in at the town of Butternut. That's not a typo. We didn't see any open convenience stores so we relied on what we had with us. We parked in front of an art studio. The proprietor stepped out and greeted us. She had a nice little studio. Steve and I milled around. She suggested the local museum but there was no way we were going wait was no way we were going to wait half an hour for the museum to open. We were at 40 miles by then.
Next stop was Clam Lake, 17 miles out. The road was fast and smooth. The miles whizzed by far a change. First up was a grocery store. Actually it was a gas station that had some groceries. Our standards are variable on the road as to what passes to serve our basic needs. After a pause there, we meandered across the street to the local restaurant. It had lots of motorcycles out front. We'd fit right in!
It was a little noisy for a while until they finished their lunch. Then we got to speak with the staff. Jim was a customer. When I talked about the "No concealed guns allowed " we had an interesting conversation. We talked about the difference In the gun laws in Wisconsin and Virginia. Heck in WI, you can carry concealed and drink. No Wild West scenes either. But they do worry.
Next and last stop was Boulder Lodge campground. We had no idea what we were getting into. All we knew was it had showers. 10 miles later, we rolled into Shangrala. It is a really nice place with a restaurant, bar, cabins and tent sites. Steve and I had dinner and drinks and got to enjoy a lively conversation. Gay joined us later. Fred of course was in his tent by 7ish. The place has wifi but I am sitting out front on a swing set to get the best reception. It's ok as the weather is outstanding right now. @76 degrees
Today's total mileage = 67
Total mileage to date = 1,845
Everything has been going along very well and I for one am ever so thankful.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers.
KPW
The day was going smoothly. The roads were pretty quiet given it was a Saturday morning. For miles we only saw a few cars and most were pulling a boat trailer.
Our first stop was 31 miles in at the town of Butternut. That's not a typo. We didn't see any open convenience stores so we relied on what we had with us. We parked in front of an art studio. The proprietor stepped out and greeted us. She had a nice little studio. Steve and I milled around. She suggested the local museum but there was no way we were going wait was no way we were going to wait half an hour for the museum to open. We were at 40 miles by then.
Next stop was Clam Lake, 17 miles out. The road was fast and smooth. The miles whizzed by far a change. First up was a grocery store. Actually it was a gas station that had some groceries. Our standards are variable on the road as to what passes to serve our basic needs. After a pause there, we meandered across the street to the local restaurant. It had lots of motorcycles out front. We'd fit right in!
It was a little noisy for a while until they finished their lunch. Then we got to speak with the staff. Jim was a customer. When I talked about the "No concealed guns allowed " we had an interesting conversation. We talked about the difference In the gun laws in Wisconsin and Virginia. Heck in WI, you can carry concealed and drink. No Wild West scenes either. But they do worry.
Next and last stop was Boulder Lodge campground. We had no idea what we were getting into. All we knew was it had showers. 10 miles later, we rolled into Shangrala. It is a really nice place with a restaurant, bar, cabins and tent sites. Steve and I had dinner and drinks and got to enjoy a lively conversation. Gay joined us later. Fred of course was in his tent by 7ish. The place has wifi but I am sitting out front on a swing set to get the best reception. It's ok as the weather is outstanding right now. @76 degrees
Today's total mileage = 67
Total mileage to date = 1,845
Everything has been going along very well and I for one am ever so thankful.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers.
KPW
Friday, July 10, 2015
Day 31 Mercy in Mercer
The Star Lake store owner and Postmaster, Deb was a delightful woman. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, she had the 4 of us over for hamburgers, hot dogs and baked beans. Nothing fancy. Just impromptu. Her husband of 3 years added to the flavor of the gathering as did her 13 year old grandson. Kid was a trip.
I have to say that I don't want to be one of the stories Deb tells about cycling groups that have come through over the years. I won't share her tales here. She added some stories about her own past. She predicted that Star Lake was destined NOT to change as it was hemmed in by state forest. Her family owns 3 of the 4 businesses in town. They pretty much close up in September for the season and head south as in southern Wisconsin. Star Lake has earned a spot in my good story repertoire.
We cut out of the campground by 6:30 am and headed over to the store for some breakfast food and coffee. Deb kindly opened up early for us. She was shuttling back and forth be'tween the store and the Post Office which were in the same building essentially. We bid adieu and headed west. Steve lingered behind to spend some quality time with his tablet. We are certain to tag back up again.
The first 17 miles were only slightly hilly. The road was very lightly traveled and in good condition. Sandy Doyle is right. Wisconsin is very green. I am really enjoying the wild flowers that line the roads for miles. We turned into a bike path for about 6 miles which abruptly ended in a nice little town of Boulder Junction. It had a nice, well kept laundromat. Just what we needed. We met a couple that was touring from west to east. We exchanged some information about our respective routes and said good luck. It was their first bike tour. What a start!
Sure enough, Steve showed up as we were underway with the wash. When our baggage was back to somewhat clean, we headed west again. We didn't see Steve again until we reached our destination.
This time the terrain was without a wrinkle. I really enjoyed the almost totally flat mileage. For miles the roads were flat and fast. Wildflowers adorned the roadways. Lots of lakes and small farms dotted the scenery. A fun few miles. Then we came upon our destination. Mercer.
It's a cute little town with an IGA grocery. No barber. Gift shops that close too early. Several restaurants and bars. A fish fry is advertised everywhere . 3 motels to choose from. We needed a little mercy from primitive existence for a night. The next camp is several miles down the road and it's primitive. Believe me when I saw showers are in order. The next camp with facilities was another 41 miles. No one was interested in another long day but, you guessed it, Fred. He went along with the short day. Tomorrow looks like a normal day with about 65 miles or so on tap. Breakfast at 6.
Today's total mileage = 39
Total mileage so far = 1,845
Have a good weekend.
Cheers.
KPW
Finally, a big shout out to my mother in law. It's her birthday today!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBARA!
I have to say that I don't want to be one of the stories Deb tells about cycling groups that have come through over the years. I won't share her tales here. She added some stories about her own past. She predicted that Star Lake was destined NOT to change as it was hemmed in by state forest. Her family owns 3 of the 4 businesses in town. They pretty much close up in September for the season and head south as in southern Wisconsin. Star Lake has earned a spot in my good story repertoire.
We cut out of the campground by 6:30 am and headed over to the store for some breakfast food and coffee. Deb kindly opened up early for us. She was shuttling back and forth be'tween the store and the Post Office which were in the same building essentially. We bid adieu and headed west. Steve lingered behind to spend some quality time with his tablet. We are certain to tag back up again.
The first 17 miles were only slightly hilly. The road was very lightly traveled and in good condition. Sandy Doyle is right. Wisconsin is very green. I am really enjoying the wild flowers that line the roads for miles. We turned into a bike path for about 6 miles which abruptly ended in a nice little town of Boulder Junction. It had a nice, well kept laundromat. Just what we needed. We met a couple that was touring from west to east. We exchanged some information about our respective routes and said good luck. It was their first bike tour. What a start!
Sure enough, Steve showed up as we were underway with the wash. When our baggage was back to somewhat clean, we headed west again. We didn't see Steve again until we reached our destination.
This time the terrain was without a wrinkle. I really enjoyed the almost totally flat mileage. For miles the roads were flat and fast. Wildflowers adorned the roadways. Lots of lakes and small farms dotted the scenery. A fun few miles. Then we came upon our destination. Mercer.
It's a cute little town with an IGA grocery. No barber. Gift shops that close too early. Several restaurants and bars. A fish fry is advertised everywhere . 3 motels to choose from. We needed a little mercy from primitive existence for a night. The next camp is several miles down the road and it's primitive. Believe me when I saw showers are in order. The next camp with facilities was another 41 miles. No one was interested in another long day but, you guessed it, Fred. He went along with the short day. Tomorrow looks like a normal day with about 65 miles or so on tap. Breakfast at 6.
Today's total mileage = 39
Total mileage so far = 1,845
Have a good weekend.
Cheers.
KPW
Finally, a big shout out to my mother in law. It's her birthday today!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBARA!
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Day 30 Cheesehead land
I missed something in the translation. I know we are in a time zone. These guys don't adjust to change well. Instead of going by the new time, they are going by solar time. So when I started stirring at 5:30, Steve was getting ready to head out for breakfast. Fred had already eaten and taken down his tent. Gay wasn't far behind. Crap. I was now rushing around trying to catch up! We were departing by 6:20. Rushing around first thing is not my favorite way to spend the morning. You see, I can't hear anyone (very well) stirring around to wake me. At least they are patient with me.
Today promised to be pretty hilly. Right off the bat we rolled down across a bridge. That can only mean one thing. We would be ascending on the other side. Yep. True that. And some. It was cold but since I knew about the climb, warm clothes to start would only leave me soaking in sweat. The steep part of the climb wasn't that long, perhaps 3 or 4 city blocks, but I knew this wasn't going to be the only climb of the day.
Boy. My day was really getting of to a great start. I wonder how long that Cliff bar is going to hold me? Better yet, I wonder how long it'll be before our first coffee stop. (that means, where will I be able to get some food.) You see, I don't have a map of this area so I am frequently in the dark on the details. I feel like a pest if I ask too many questions. (A full set of maps for the northern tier costs around $140.)
At the 21 mile mark we found a convenience store. I loaded up with the requisite calories and coffee. As I was shopping around, I half heard a local woman, young with shoulder length stringy, wet dark hair in an old t shirt and baggy, ratty jeans, talking loudly and excitedly about someone having stolen $100 of hers. The rest of her diatribe I missed. When I made it to the counter, the clerk was sort of reacting to what she said. "If someone stole my car, I'd call the cops." So it seems she is a frequent "victim". The clerk said yesterday she said someone had stolen her 52" TV. This seemed impossible since the woman had a German Shepard that wouldn't have let someone walk out unnoticed. Hmmm.
While we were sitting outside on the curb, devouring calories and sipping coffee, guess who drove up? Right O! If someone stole it, they made a good decision and returned it straight away. It was rusted and beat up, but it did run.
We left the entertainment zone knowing that the Wisconsin state line was at hand. 10 hilly miles later, there it was. We had crossed ME, NH, VT, NY, Ontario, & MI. We stopped for pictures commemorating the moment. Next stop was food. That would be 15 or 20 miles away. The terrain had suddenly flattened out. The trees were tall and evergreen. The road was lined with wild flowers of all types. Queen Anne Lace was most prevalent. We stumbled onto "Y-Not Here? Restaurant." Nothing else around so we decided, y not stop and have lunch.
There were 3 young men not long out of high school sitting drinking sodas and 2 were smoking. Gee. Some places still allowed it in eating places. It wasn't too bad and we were hungry and there were no other options. While we waited for our food, Steve rides up. We hadn't seen him since he went to breakfast. I envied him for that. I wasn't going to split from my group though. We all have a good lunch then head down the road together.
The road turned decidedly hilly. These ups and downs were of the less painful variety. Up and down none the less. This went on for another 15 or 20 miles before we stumbled on an oasis of sorts. An ice cream shop by a lake! Joy. Proof God loves us and wanted us to be happy. We all had excellent milkshakes. Yum. Should of had 2 of them.
The rest of the mileage was a mix of little hills and flatlands. But let me say that the last 10 to 15 miles just seemed like forever. We arrived at Star Lake. Staying at a primitive campground with the lake serving as a bath. Pit toilets are serviceable. The local store was a gem. The owner took to Fred and Steve. Before I knew it, we were invited back for hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill after the store closed. Welcome to Wisconsin. They are nice folks with good hearts. They have hosted a number of cyclists per the stories they shared. We enjoyed dinner and their company.
It's late and time to turn in.
Mileage today = 71 (another long day due to lack of available/any accommodations)
Total mileage to date = 1,806
That's over 60 miles a day over the past 30 days. We took 2 of those days off if you'll remember.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers!
KPW
Today promised to be pretty hilly. Right off the bat we rolled down across a bridge. That can only mean one thing. We would be ascending on the other side. Yep. True that. And some. It was cold but since I knew about the climb, warm clothes to start would only leave me soaking in sweat. The steep part of the climb wasn't that long, perhaps 3 or 4 city blocks, but I knew this wasn't going to be the only climb of the day.
Boy. My day was really getting of to a great start. I wonder how long that Cliff bar is going to hold me? Better yet, I wonder how long it'll be before our first coffee stop. (that means, where will I be able to get some food.) You see, I don't have a map of this area so I am frequently in the dark on the details. I feel like a pest if I ask too many questions. (A full set of maps for the northern tier costs around $140.)
At the 21 mile mark we found a convenience store. I loaded up with the requisite calories and coffee. As I was shopping around, I half heard a local woman, young with shoulder length stringy, wet dark hair in an old t shirt and baggy, ratty jeans, talking loudly and excitedly about someone having stolen $100 of hers. The rest of her diatribe I missed. When I made it to the counter, the clerk was sort of reacting to what she said. "If someone stole my car, I'd call the cops." So it seems she is a frequent "victim". The clerk said yesterday she said someone had stolen her 52" TV. This seemed impossible since the woman had a German Shepard that wouldn't have let someone walk out unnoticed. Hmmm.
While we were sitting outside on the curb, devouring calories and sipping coffee, guess who drove up? Right O! If someone stole it, they made a good decision and returned it straight away. It was rusted and beat up, but it did run.
We left the entertainment zone knowing that the Wisconsin state line was at hand. 10 hilly miles later, there it was. We had crossed ME, NH, VT, NY, Ontario, & MI. We stopped for pictures commemorating the moment. Next stop was food. That would be 15 or 20 miles away. The terrain had suddenly flattened out. The trees were tall and evergreen. The road was lined with wild flowers of all types. Queen Anne Lace was most prevalent. We stumbled onto "Y-Not Here? Restaurant." Nothing else around so we decided, y not stop and have lunch.
There were 3 young men not long out of high school sitting drinking sodas and 2 were smoking. Gee. Some places still allowed it in eating places. It wasn't too bad and we were hungry and there were no other options. While we waited for our food, Steve rides up. We hadn't seen him since he went to breakfast. I envied him for that. I wasn't going to split from my group though. We all have a good lunch then head down the road together.
The road turned decidedly hilly. These ups and downs were of the less painful variety. Up and down none the less. This went on for another 15 or 20 miles before we stumbled on an oasis of sorts. An ice cream shop by a lake! Joy. Proof God loves us and wanted us to be happy. We all had excellent milkshakes. Yum. Should of had 2 of them.
The rest of the mileage was a mix of little hills and flatlands. But let me say that the last 10 to 15 miles just seemed like forever. We arrived at Star Lake. Staying at a primitive campground with the lake serving as a bath. Pit toilets are serviceable. The local store was a gem. The owner took to Fred and Steve. Before I knew it, we were invited back for hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill after the store closed. Welcome to Wisconsin. They are nice folks with good hearts. They have hosted a number of cyclists per the stories they shared. We enjoyed dinner and their company.
It's late and time to turn in.
Mileage today = 71 (another long day due to lack of available/any accommodations)
Total mileage to date = 1,806
That's over 60 miles a day over the past 30 days. We took 2 of those days off if you'll remember.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers!
KPW
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Day 29 Crystal Falls
Yesterday, Steve rolled into camp an hour and a half after we did. With a headwind most of the day, he was pretty tired. Today when we left the Fairgrounds, he didn't miss the Team Touring train. Instead of rolling out of camp a little later so we could go to the family breakfast place, we left at 6:30 so we could experience fine dining at McDonalds. Better than a Cliff bar but only barely.
We were off Route 2 today so there was a lot less traffic. Actually, a lot less of everything. Rest stops. Food. Coffee. You name it. We were so isolated in one section a woman stopped when Gay and I were sitting on the side of the road, and asked if we needed any water and such. She knew were in the middle of nothing, as it turned out. That was very kind of her to stop.
We had been about 25 miles since we had a stop for refreshments. I was starting to show signs of wearing out. (Feeling cranky) We came up on a small remote store that wasn't on the map. A couple of places were on the map in 2 miles so we waited. So, we passed up the bird in the hand for the two in the bush. You guessed it. When we got there, the other stories were closed. Rats. The next store was going to be in 10 miles. So, we pushed on. No alternative. We found a community center and the post office but it had no refreshments or food.
We stopped for a rest and some refreshments we had with us. Talking to the ladies at the Post Office, they are, they said the trading post was a "couple of miles" up the road. Those ended up being country miles not bicycle miles. 6 miles later we found the trading post. It was closed. But the woman saw us and opened up. I was very grateful. There wasn't much in there but we salvaged some refreshments out of it. I think the Klondike ice cream bar pulled me out of the proverbial fire. I started recovering soon after that.
The riding today wasn't too bad considering how remote and desolate much of it was. Quite a few small rolling hills and wind that wasn't always cooperative. With Steve back on the train to provide some needed horsepower, we blazed our way to the metropolis of Crystal Falls. We had expected to stay at a motel because no campground was indicated on the map. A campground magically appeared right before we entered into town. So, here we are. It's a rustic area with a nice lake and plenty of grass and pretty pine trees. The campground host was going out of her way to accommodate us by driving to town to shop for us and brought out a little refrigerator for our perishables!
We crossed over into the central time zone today. Tomorrow we will be in Wisconsin. The forecast tonight is pizza and two beers for yours truly.
Total mileage today = 76
Total mileage so far on the route = 1,735 ( an upward adjustment was made by 6 miles)
Thanks for following us on the journey.
KPW
p. s. I got a text on my arrival to CF. If anyone finds Logan's iPhone 6, please let me know. It seems someone liked it better than he did. :-(
We were off Route 2 today so there was a lot less traffic. Actually, a lot less of everything. Rest stops. Food. Coffee. You name it. We were so isolated in one section a woman stopped when Gay and I were sitting on the side of the road, and asked if we needed any water and such. She knew were in the middle of nothing, as it turned out. That was very kind of her to stop.
We had been about 25 miles since we had a stop for refreshments. I was starting to show signs of wearing out. (Feeling cranky) We came up on a small remote store that wasn't on the map. A couple of places were on the map in 2 miles so we waited. So, we passed up the bird in the hand for the two in the bush. You guessed it. When we got there, the other stories were closed. Rats. The next store was going to be in 10 miles. So, we pushed on. No alternative. We found a community center and the post office but it had no refreshments or food.
We stopped for a rest and some refreshments we had with us. Talking to the ladies at the Post Office, they are, they said the trading post was a "couple of miles" up the road. Those ended up being country miles not bicycle miles. 6 miles later we found the trading post. It was closed. But the woman saw us and opened up. I was very grateful. There wasn't much in there but we salvaged some refreshments out of it. I think the Klondike ice cream bar pulled me out of the proverbial fire. I started recovering soon after that.
The riding today wasn't too bad considering how remote and desolate much of it was. Quite a few small rolling hills and wind that wasn't always cooperative. With Steve back on the train to provide some needed horsepower, we blazed our way to the metropolis of Crystal Falls. We had expected to stay at a motel because no campground was indicated on the map. A campground magically appeared right before we entered into town. So, here we are. It's a rustic area with a nice lake and plenty of grass and pretty pine trees. The campground host was going out of her way to accommodate us by driving to town to shop for us and brought out a little refrigerator for our perishables!
We crossed over into the central time zone today. Tomorrow we will be in Wisconsin. The forecast tonight is pizza and two beers for yours truly.
Total mileage today = 76
Total mileage so far on the route = 1,735 ( an upward adjustment was made by 6 miles)
Thanks for following us on the journey.
KPW
p. s. I got a text on my arrival to CF. If anyone finds Logan's iPhone 6, please let me know. It seems someone liked it better than he did. :-(
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Day 28 Escanaba
Rain made me happy last night. Why would that be, you ask? Good question! Because we were in a motel, of course. I'm a professional outdoorsman. Spending time in the weather, no matter what, is part of the experience. I have had my share of experience with, shall we say, less than desirable conditions. So, given the opportunity or choice, I choose to avoid dealing with soggy gear and a cold, wet body. It's a pain in the behind to get warm and dried out. But, today, none of that. Load the bikes, go find some breakfast and hit the road. I get ahead of myself.
Steve shared a room with Fred and Rhenback and I had a room. Steve didn't want to hold us back when we were ready, so we left without him. (He isn't part of our group, but we have shared camps with him the last few nights and rode with him yesterday. He's from San Diego riding the Northern Tier to raise money for the Wounded Warriors.) Two days ago he left after we did and we bumped into him a few times along the way. No biggie.
Route 2 was the way again today. Same road. Different day. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow and a different route. We could have taken a different way, but decided for the most direct route. It was going to be a long day in the saddle.
Our team was down to 3 riders. We took turns through the day riding on the front and pulling the rest of the gang along. We made a few stops for refreshments and a lunch break. At lunch, Gay called ahead to the Fairgrounds campgrounds to make sure they had showers. Success! Given the option, we will always stay where we can clean up.
Escanaba State Fairgrounds was our destination for the day. Getting there was a bit of a challenge considering how flat the terrain is. Oh yeah. Wind, lots of wind. In our face. Actually it was not directly in our face but close enough. It was work. Until, the last 15 miles or so then the road turned south and put the strong winds at our backs! We flew. 19 to 21 mph was fun. We averaged 14.1 for the day.
It's a fairly big city with a Walmart as a litmus test for size. The fairgrounds are huge. We are the only campers. We camped next to the bath/shower house. I expect to be out by 7 in the morning so we can stop for breakfast at a family restaurant nearby. It will be cold tonight.
Riding mileage today =73
Total mileage to date = 1,653
Thanks for following us.
Cheers.
KPW
Steve shared a room with Fred and Rhenback and I had a room. Steve didn't want to hold us back when we were ready, so we left without him. (He isn't part of our group, but we have shared camps with him the last few nights and rode with him yesterday. He's from San Diego riding the Northern Tier to raise money for the Wounded Warriors.) Two days ago he left after we did and we bumped into him a few times along the way. No biggie.
Route 2 was the way again today. Same road. Different day. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow and a different route. We could have taken a different way, but decided for the most direct route. It was going to be a long day in the saddle.
Our team was down to 3 riders. We took turns through the day riding on the front and pulling the rest of the gang along. We made a few stops for refreshments and a lunch break. At lunch, Gay called ahead to the Fairgrounds campgrounds to make sure they had showers. Success! Given the option, we will always stay where we can clean up.
Escanaba State Fairgrounds was our destination for the day. Getting there was a bit of a challenge considering how flat the terrain is. Oh yeah. Wind, lots of wind. In our face. Actually it was not directly in our face but close enough. It was work. Until, the last 15 miles or so then the road turned south and put the strong winds at our backs! We flew. 19 to 21 mph was fun. We averaged 14.1 for the day.
It's a fairly big city with a Walmart as a litmus test for size. The fairgrounds are huge. We are the only campers. We camped next to the bath/shower house. I expect to be out by 7 in the morning so we can stop for breakfast at a family restaurant nearby. It will be cold tonight.
Riding mileage today =73
Total mileage to date = 1,653
Thanks for following us.
Cheers.
KPW
Monday, July 6, 2015
Day 27 50 by 12
The campground at St Ignace was pretty nice. The store was 0.2 miles away. Fresh food and cold beer was at hand! (For those of us who imbibe.) Steve has joined us each night for the past 2. We get along just fine. He knows we have a strong alliance and could vote him off the island if he was a pain. He showed up at camp with a cold beer for me. He stays. For now...
The 4 of us rode together all day today for the first time. There was only one road to follow as the options were nil. When I say we rode together, I mean as a team. If you are familiar with Team Time Trials, that's kind of what we were doing.
Here's how it works. 4 guys in a row. The front guy sets the pace. The other 3 follow that pace. Front guy gets tired. Signals he intends to move to the side and the group, without slowing, moves past him. He then takes his spot in the back. Everyone takes turns at the various spots sharing the work at the front. The front rider is essentially pulling the group along. I called us Team Touring Time Trial.
We were flying. The roads were very good and mostly very flat. Shoulders were wide. With a vigorous tailwind, we were averaging over 16 mph with speeds up to 20 mph. compared to a normal average of 11.5ish. So, we had covered 50 miles by 12 (o'clock). We were going to reach our campground by 12:30. The next one was 30+ miles away. The wind had taken a turn and had been in our faces for the last 10 miles so we considered our options. Lanny Park had a cheap motel 15 miles further along the way. We also learned that it was going to rain tonight. Perfect. Team Touring put together another entertaining ride to finish off the day. Dreamland Motel was on the mark, minus wifi. We are safe and dry and looking forward to another day on the road.
Total mileage today = 69
Total mileage on the route = 1,580
Take care and thanks for reading.
Cheers.
KPW
The 4 of us rode together all day today for the first time. There was only one road to follow as the options were nil. When I say we rode together, I mean as a team. If you are familiar with Team Time Trials, that's kind of what we were doing.
Here's how it works. 4 guys in a row. The front guy sets the pace. The other 3 follow that pace. Front guy gets tired. Signals he intends to move to the side and the group, without slowing, moves past him. He then takes his spot in the back. Everyone takes turns at the various spots sharing the work at the front. The front rider is essentially pulling the group along. I called us Team Touring Time Trial.
We were flying. The roads were very good and mostly very flat. Shoulders were wide. With a vigorous tailwind, we were averaging over 16 mph with speeds up to 20 mph. compared to a normal average of 11.5ish. So, we had covered 50 miles by 12 (o'clock). We were going to reach our campground by 12:30. The next one was 30+ miles away. The wind had taken a turn and had been in our faces for the last 10 miles so we considered our options. Lanny Park had a cheap motel 15 miles further along the way. We also learned that it was going to rain tonight. Perfect. Team Touring put together another entertaining ride to finish off the day. Dreamland Motel was on the mark, minus wifi. We are safe and dry and looking forward to another day on the road.
Total mileage today = 69
Total mileage on the route = 1,580
Take care and thanks for reading.
Cheers.
KPW
Day 26 To the Upper Peninsula
Ok, ok. I know. I've probably made the climbs sound pretty torturous. Well, they are, but mostly the challenges aren't that bad. They don't last forever even though it felt like it would. They do give me something to write about. Probably the best thing about the big climbs are that they make the smaller climbs seem, well, smaller. It's all about perspective I guess. So it goes.
Frankly I was glad I turned in before the fireworks started in earnest last night . We were too far down the beach to see them . But, I certainly didn't have any problem hearing them. Even with my hearing aids out! I hope you got to enjoy the occasion. (My Kiwi friends will have to ask Fred about it all when you see him.)
We left Petoskey pretty early and stayed on a multi use (bike) trail until we were well out of town. We stumbled onto a place for a coffee stop. Refills were free and some breakfast food was on hand so we tarried for a while.
Next we came to a decision point about which direction we should take. No one could decide so we tossed a coin. It was tails so we stayed on the route. I'm glad we did. We went along Lake Michigan. It was a different world from what I had seen so far. Across the street from the lake were a line of Victorian style homes. They were so beautiful, we actually stopped to look at them and take pictures. When we resumed our ride, a man on an old touring bike pulling a Burley trailer just like the one I have at home, pulled up beside us and started chatting.
When we asked where he was headed, he said "To yoga." When Fred learned he was a local, he started peppering him with questions. Who lived there? What did the do for a living? How much did the homes cost and so on. The houses are either owned by temporary residents or rented then boarded up for the winter. The man was friendly and answered Fred's questions as best he could. We went our separate ways and he bid us farewell.
The roads were mostly flat for a while. (No killer hills today. Sorry. :) We stopped at a country store for a break. A nice lady sitting outside took interest and chatted with us for a while as we rested. She showed us a slightly different way to go than the guide map indicated. We took her advice on the way.
The roads were in terrible shape so we had to dodge the cracks and potholes but roads were almost totally devoid of traffic so it was a wash.
We were closing in quickly on our destination, the Mackinaw Ferry to St Ignace We arrived and located the ferry. We had to take 2 ferries. One from Mackinaw to the Macinac Island then the second one to St Ignace. We stayed at a state park campground very near the ferry. A short day gave us time to do laundry.
Total mileage today = 52 miles
Total mileage on route to date = 1,511 miles
Thanks for reading.
Cheers.
KPW
Frankly I was glad I turned in before the fireworks started in earnest last night . We were too far down the beach to see them . But, I certainly didn't have any problem hearing them. Even with my hearing aids out! I hope you got to enjoy the occasion. (My Kiwi friends will have to ask Fred about it all when you see him.)
We left Petoskey pretty early and stayed on a multi use (bike) trail until we were well out of town. We stumbled onto a place for a coffee stop. Refills were free and some breakfast food was on hand so we tarried for a while.
Next we came to a decision point about which direction we should take. No one could decide so we tossed a coin. It was tails so we stayed on the route. I'm glad we did. We went along Lake Michigan. It was a different world from what I had seen so far. Across the street from the lake were a line of Victorian style homes. They were so beautiful, we actually stopped to look at them and take pictures. When we resumed our ride, a man on an old touring bike pulling a Burley trailer just like the one I have at home, pulled up beside us and started chatting.
When we asked where he was headed, he said "To yoga." When Fred learned he was a local, he started peppering him with questions. Who lived there? What did the do for a living? How much did the homes cost and so on. The houses are either owned by temporary residents or rented then boarded up for the winter. The man was friendly and answered Fred's questions as best he could. We went our separate ways and he bid us farewell.
The roads were mostly flat for a while. (No killer hills today. Sorry. :) We stopped at a country store for a break. A nice lady sitting outside took interest and chatted with us for a while as we rested. She showed us a slightly different way to go than the guide map indicated. We took her advice on the way.
The roads were in terrible shape so we had to dodge the cracks and potholes but roads were almost totally devoid of traffic so it was a wash.
We were closing in quickly on our destination, the Mackinaw Ferry to St Ignace We arrived and located the ferry. We had to take 2 ferries. One from Mackinaw to the Macinac Island then the second one to St Ignace. We stayed at a state park campground very near the ferry. A short day gave us time to do laundry.
Total mileage today = 52 miles
Total mileage on route to date = 1,511 miles
Thanks for reading.
Cheers.
KPW
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Day 25 Independence Day
Depart East Port about 6:45 am. Our gang of five is about to disintegrate. Luke is sound asleep. Steve is up and at'em. The 3 Musketeers head directly for the route. Steve heads to the store. It's apparent this leg will not be very flat. We have no idea really. We take the journey as it comes. And boy did it come.
The topography is the results of ice age glacial movements. Mammoth fields of ice and snow. The size of large states. Pushing. Digging. Scouring. Advancing. Retreating. Depositing monstrous piles of earth. Then Mother Nature takes her sweet time further shaping the terrain. Then road builders ply their devious trade and build routes up and around the most difficult slopes. And we ride them. On bikes. With heavy damn packs. First thing in the morning.
We had the good fortune of taking on a few steep hills. A sign noted"hill". Our first clue. Then a short while later, a sign said "steep hill". Uh oh. Editorial comment. ( the word steep.) This can't end well. On the approach, I had already fallen back behind Gay and Fred for some forgotten reason. I saw them crawling up the climb. I stopped to relieve myself. Then, up I went. Up and up. Oh jeez. This is steep. 2/3s the way up, I had to pause to get my breathing back under control. When I restarted, because I was spinning my pedals so quickly, I was unable to click into my left pedal. So I just peddle on best I can. Gay was watching from a viewpoint at the top videotaping my joy. Probably my gasping for air will be fodder for America's Funniest Home Videos. We all decided that was the steepest, but not the longest, section of road so far since our journey began. Joy.
The next town we stopped at was Boyne City. A beautiful little town dressed up for the holiday. We paused to go to a bike shop so Fred could get another tube and I could get my cleat fixed. After the bike shop, we paused to let the parade wrap up on Main Street before we could move on.
A few minor hills then the terrain relented some to allow me to regain my form.
The last miles led us to an early halt to the day. Petoskey is a northern port town on Lake Michigan. We are camped in a sea of RVs in a municipal campground. Everyone has been very nice to us. They want to hear about is, where we've been, where we're going and about our bikes and such.
Fireworks are booming as I write this. I was being devoured by voracious insects of one type or another. A comfortable tent has more appeal right now
Tomorrow we head to the Upper Peninsula (UP). Expect an interesting day riding on ferries and such.
Total mileage today= 42
Total mileage so far = 1,459
Thanks for reading.
Happy Independence Day!
Cheers!
KPW
The topography is the results of ice age glacial movements. Mammoth fields of ice and snow. The size of large states. Pushing. Digging. Scouring. Advancing. Retreating. Depositing monstrous piles of earth. Then Mother Nature takes her sweet time further shaping the terrain. Then road builders ply their devious trade and build routes up and around the most difficult slopes. And we ride them. On bikes. With heavy damn packs. First thing in the morning.
We had the good fortune of taking on a few steep hills. A sign noted"hill". Our first clue. Then a short while later, a sign said "steep hill". Uh oh. Editorial comment. ( the word steep.) This can't end well. On the approach, I had already fallen back behind Gay and Fred for some forgotten reason. I saw them crawling up the climb. I stopped to relieve myself. Then, up I went. Up and up. Oh jeez. This is steep. 2/3s the way up, I had to pause to get my breathing back under control. When I restarted, because I was spinning my pedals so quickly, I was unable to click into my left pedal. So I just peddle on best I can. Gay was watching from a viewpoint at the top videotaping my joy. Probably my gasping for air will be fodder for America's Funniest Home Videos. We all decided that was the steepest, but not the longest, section of road so far since our journey began. Joy.
The next town we stopped at was Boyne City. A beautiful little town dressed up for the holiday. We paused to go to a bike shop so Fred could get another tube and I could get my cleat fixed. After the bike shop, we paused to let the parade wrap up on Main Street before we could move on.
A few minor hills then the terrain relented some to allow me to regain my form.
The last miles led us to an early halt to the day. Petoskey is a northern port town on Lake Michigan. We are camped in a sea of RVs in a municipal campground. Everyone has been very nice to us. They want to hear about is, where we've been, where we're going and about our bikes and such.
Fireworks are booming as I write this. I was being devoured by voracious insects of one type or another. A comfortable tent has more appeal right now
Tomorrow we head to the Upper Peninsula (UP). Expect an interesting day riding on ferries and such.
Total mileage today= 42
Total mileage so far = 1,459
Thanks for reading.
Happy Independence Day!
Cheers!
KPW
Day 24 A Social Experience
Back in the routine of early departure with a coffee stop along the way. Sigh. I have to admit that chewing down on a Cliff bar works. Some days better than others, I might add. Good thing today was an on day. Let me back up a little.
Last night was clear which means one thing. Cold in the dawning. About 46 degrees. I also know it's going to warm up pretty quickly. Same layers as the day before minus the tights. Good thing, too. Just out of town we take a left turn and stare at a very steep hill. "oh s#*t) I mumble not so quietly to myself. Before I even start up the slope I stop to peel off my long sleeve shell as I KNOW it'll just turn into a sauna. By the time I got to the top, I realized my only mistake was not taking off more. Soon the vest shell was finding its way into my front pannier.
Good thing. Aw jeez. Look! Another steep a@& climb... Mumble coherently about just being happy to be here and pray the day won't be full of such gifts. My prayers were answered. After a short while we took a turn and the terrain, scenery and general conditions improved dramatically. The sun was beginning to peer over the wooded horizon and the road was smooth and fast. Blissful it was.
About 25 miles in we finally found a coffee stop. We sat inside this local jewel where Fred and I enjoyed a cup and a half of joe. Gay was bored.
Our next real destination was Traverse City. A nice lakeside resort city. We found a pretty cool bike shop. Fred needed another spare tube. I needed a new cycling cap. No surprise there. I collect hats.
When we rolled up to the shop, a guy came over to us with a touring set up and greeted this like long-lost brothers. He had been on the road for 30 days and had not met another cyclist going in his same direction. Steve from San Diego, was riding in support of Wounded Warriors, especially EOD. Undoubtedly we will cross paths with him again, and again.
When we went to depart, Fred couldn't find his sunglasses. We looked all over the place. He eventually found them… in his shirt.
The final stretch into our destination of East Port was, well, long and hilly. The scenery was just fine, but when you start to wear out, scenery plays a lesser role that the destination. Then, less than 5 miles out, we hear the awful noise of pfft, shhh, shh.. Another flat. Fred again. Poor sod. Stop and change it. 15 minutes. Not his fault. No big deal. Now follow this scenario carefully.
Fred took the tube out and laid it out near him. Gay, being helpful, picked it up and carefully rolled it up to pack away. Fred, not seeing what had just happened, picked up the tube Gay had just rolled up thinking it was the new one and proceeded to put it back on the wheel! Needless to say that it didn't work. I needed the comic relief and another few minutes to lay down.
We arrived at the campground. It was full. No worries. They don't turn away cycling tourists! They wanted to charge us $22 a tent! About that time, Steve arrived. Our group swelled to 4. Fred the negotiator stepped in. The employee talked to his boss. Meanwhile, Luke the Cycling psychiatrist, arrived. Our group is now 5! The attendant said the new rate would be $44 for all of us! Way to go Fred!!
Our little community had grown. We chatted about this and that. The long day had taken its toll on us all. We fixed dinner and cleaned up. Good showers but it was over 200 yards across the field. At least we weren't turned away. East Port was a good place to stay.
Total mileage on the route today = 82 miles
Total so far= 1,417 miles
Tomorrow is July 4th
Should be interesting.
Cheers
KPW
Last night was clear which means one thing. Cold in the dawning. About 46 degrees. I also know it's going to warm up pretty quickly. Same layers as the day before minus the tights. Good thing, too. Just out of town we take a left turn and stare at a very steep hill. "oh s#*t) I mumble not so quietly to myself. Before I even start up the slope I stop to peel off my long sleeve shell as I KNOW it'll just turn into a sauna. By the time I got to the top, I realized my only mistake was not taking off more. Soon the vest shell was finding its way into my front pannier.
Good thing. Aw jeez. Look! Another steep a@& climb... Mumble coherently about just being happy to be here and pray the day won't be full of such gifts. My prayers were answered. After a short while we took a turn and the terrain, scenery and general conditions improved dramatically. The sun was beginning to peer over the wooded horizon and the road was smooth and fast. Blissful it was.
About 25 miles in we finally found a coffee stop. We sat inside this local jewel where Fred and I enjoyed a cup and a half of joe. Gay was bored.
Our next real destination was Traverse City. A nice lakeside resort city. We found a pretty cool bike shop. Fred needed another spare tube. I needed a new cycling cap. No surprise there. I collect hats.
When we rolled up to the shop, a guy came over to us with a touring set up and greeted this like long-lost brothers. He had been on the road for 30 days and had not met another cyclist going in his same direction. Steve from San Diego, was riding in support of Wounded Warriors, especially EOD. Undoubtedly we will cross paths with him again, and again.
When we went to depart, Fred couldn't find his sunglasses. We looked all over the place. He eventually found them… in his shirt.
The final stretch into our destination of East Port was, well, long and hilly. The scenery was just fine, but when you start to wear out, scenery plays a lesser role that the destination. Then, less than 5 miles out, we hear the awful noise of pfft, shhh, shh.. Another flat. Fred again. Poor sod. Stop and change it. 15 minutes. Not his fault. No big deal. Now follow this scenario carefully.
Fred took the tube out and laid it out near him. Gay, being helpful, picked it up and carefully rolled it up to pack away. Fred, not seeing what had just happened, picked up the tube Gay had just rolled up thinking it was the new one and proceeded to put it back on the wheel! Needless to say that it didn't work. I needed the comic relief and another few minutes to lay down.
We arrived at the campground. It was full. No worries. They don't turn away cycling tourists! They wanted to charge us $22 a tent! About that time, Steve arrived. Our group swelled to 4. Fred the negotiator stepped in. The employee talked to his boss. Meanwhile, Luke the Cycling psychiatrist, arrived. Our group is now 5! The attendant said the new rate would be $44 for all of us! Way to go Fred!!
Our little community had grown. We chatted about this and that. The long day had taken its toll on us all. We fixed dinner and cleaned up. Good showers but it was over 200 yards across the field. At least we weren't turned away. East Port was a good place to stay.
Total mileage on the route today = 82 miles
Total so far= 1,417 miles
Tomorrow is July 4th
Should be interesting.
Cheers
KPW
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Day 23 Cold Start. Hot Finish
Stirred awake about 5:30 by a golf cart headed to the bathroom across the way. I saw him sometime in the night, too. He needs to walk more. And see his doctor.
It was brisk outside. I slept well but made sure I stayed tucked inside my sleeping bag. No extreme measures were necessary to stay warm such as extra clothing or a hat. My bag is good to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Later I heard Fred realized too late that he should have slept in his long johns. Next time...
How brisk was it? I wore my spiffy new compression tights that Pam bought me a little while back, over my riding shorts. On top I wore a synthetic short sleeve t shirt and my long sleeve synthetic top, my yellow nylon vest and my long sleeve nylon jacket. (It's not like I have a large wardrobe with me.) Socks and biking gloves completes the ensemble. It would hold me for a while. As I warned up I could start peeling off layers. I knew I would be chilly for a few miles.
Yesterday's breakfast stop was not a trend setter. But, we did have a camper bring us some food. As she was lumbering to the bathroom, she stopped to chat a bit. Next thing I knew she was bringing us some breakfast goodies. Cold protein shakes and protein bars. Part of her camping cuisine. Her gracious offer was welcomed. It wasn't pancakes and bacon, but it wasn't bad and it was free! I poured down the cold drinks. Gay passed on the goodies. Not his style. Fred took what he wanted and we were soon off to the town of ... Mesick.
Man was it chilly. I was borderline shivering until we began climbing which started soon enough. Like Winnie the Pooh, I climbed and I climbed. And as I climbed, I sang a little song to myself." The climbs weren't long but we had a long series of ups and downs where the ups were longer and higher than the downs. It's a little infuriating as you look for paybacks (downhill) to compensate for the uphill.. Sheez. The upside is that I got to shed some of my ample layers.
Eventually we made a turn. We finally had a following wind. Most of the time. We still had climbs, but earned plenty of downhill paybacks. Man did that feel good. Warm sun. Following wind. Easy climbs. Sweet downhills. Ahh.
We made a few stops at stores along the way. Nothing really stands out in my mind but we did get to chat with a few people. One group of guys on motorcycles were particularly interested. They were amazed that a bunch of senior citizens could be pulling this ride off. We told them we were amazed, too.
We finally arrived at Mesick (not a misspelling). We found a primitive campground on a lake just out of town. It's nice but no showers. Into the lake for a bath. Had an ice machine and pit toilets. No electricity/wifi but a good signal. It's time for dinner.
Total route mileage today = 82
Total route mileage to date = 1,335
Thanks for reading.
Cheers.
KPW
23 years ago today, Pam and I closed on our house. We've enjoyed a great life together there with our awesome kids. I look forward to my return in a few weeks. XO
It was brisk outside. I slept well but made sure I stayed tucked inside my sleeping bag. No extreme measures were necessary to stay warm such as extra clothing or a hat. My bag is good to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Later I heard Fred realized too late that he should have slept in his long johns. Next time...
How brisk was it? I wore my spiffy new compression tights that Pam bought me a little while back, over my riding shorts. On top I wore a synthetic short sleeve t shirt and my long sleeve synthetic top, my yellow nylon vest and my long sleeve nylon jacket. (It's not like I have a large wardrobe with me.) Socks and biking gloves completes the ensemble. It would hold me for a while. As I warned up I could start peeling off layers. I knew I would be chilly for a few miles.
Yesterday's breakfast stop was not a trend setter. But, we did have a camper bring us some food. As she was lumbering to the bathroom, she stopped to chat a bit. Next thing I knew she was bringing us some breakfast goodies. Cold protein shakes and protein bars. Part of her camping cuisine. Her gracious offer was welcomed. It wasn't pancakes and bacon, but it wasn't bad and it was free! I poured down the cold drinks. Gay passed on the goodies. Not his style. Fred took what he wanted and we were soon off to the town of ... Mesick.
Man was it chilly. I was borderline shivering until we began climbing which started soon enough. Like Winnie the Pooh, I climbed and I climbed. And as I climbed, I sang a little song to myself." The climbs weren't long but we had a long series of ups and downs where the ups were longer and higher than the downs. It's a little infuriating as you look for paybacks (downhill) to compensate for the uphill.. Sheez. The upside is that I got to shed some of my ample layers.
Eventually we made a turn. We finally had a following wind. Most of the time. We still had climbs, but earned plenty of downhill paybacks. Man did that feel good. Warm sun. Following wind. Easy climbs. Sweet downhills. Ahh.
We made a few stops at stores along the way. Nothing really stands out in my mind but we did get to chat with a few people. One group of guys on motorcycles were particularly interested. They were amazed that a bunch of senior citizens could be pulling this ride off. We told them we were amazed, too.
We finally arrived at Mesick (not a misspelling). We found a primitive campground on a lake just out of town. It's nice but no showers. Into the lake for a bath. Had an ice machine and pit toilets. No electricity/wifi but a good signal. It's time for dinner.
Total route mileage today = 82
Total route mileage to date = 1,335
Thanks for reading.
Cheers.
KPW
23 years ago today, Pam and I closed on our house. We've enjoyed a great life together there with our awesome kids. I look forward to my return in a few weeks. XO
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Day 22 A change
Our camp at Bay City State Park is 1.5 miles off route (when you are traveling by bike, the closer accommodations are to the route, the better.) & there are a few amenities between the park and the route. But, before we get back on route & begin churning out the miles in earnest, we make a ... Breakfast stop! This is unprecedented. I usually get to inhale something before departure. Gay usually eats nothing . Fred gets up before dawn to eat as to not delay our start. Don't get me wrong. I don't anticipate a sit down breakfast each morning, but this is refreshing. Coffee, pancakes, bacon, eggs, juice. The works for me. Gay had the same but he's not a coffee drinker. I think Fred had corned beef hash. Ok. Now I'm ready to ride.
We take a few miles of roads then we get on the "Pere Marquette Rail Trail". Rail trails are old usually abandoned railways that have been converted to multiuse trails. This is a notable one. It's long. (An understatement) It was probably 50 miles long! No turns. No hills. Just a cool trail. It occasionally crosses over well marked roads and driveways.
The pavement is excellent. A few restrooms are found along the way. The scenery was, well, sweet. Small green trees lined much of the way. We did get a few scenic glances. The entire way was relaxing and a pleasant change from the roads.
Well , as it turned out, 20 miles to go, we made a stop into a grocery store. Our packs emerged fuller and heavier. I was anticipating more flat terrain to the end. Boy was I wrong. The last 20 miles, that we thought would only be 14 miles were rolling little hills. They weren't a big deal just not what we were expecting. We ended up taking 2 or more breaks than we might normally. Oh well. We deal with it.
Destination: Lake George, MI
We arrive with 71 miles on the odometer, but only 69 on route.
1,263 total so far.
I'm pretty tired and sleep will come quickly tonight. So, take care.
A nod to my New Zealand friends. Fred is a good man. And one speed, as noted. :)
Cheers.
We take a few miles of roads then we get on the "Pere Marquette Rail Trail". Rail trails are old usually abandoned railways that have been converted to multiuse trails. This is a notable one. It's long. (An understatement) It was probably 50 miles long! No turns. No hills. Just a cool trail. It occasionally crosses over well marked roads and driveways.
The pavement is excellent. A few restrooms are found along the way. The scenery was, well, sweet. Small green trees lined much of the way. We did get a few scenic glances. The entire way was relaxing and a pleasant change from the roads.
Well , as it turned out, 20 miles to go, we made a stop into a grocery store. Our packs emerged fuller and heavier. I was anticipating more flat terrain to the end. Boy was I wrong. The last 20 miles, that we thought would only be 14 miles were rolling little hills. They weren't a big deal just not what we were expecting. We ended up taking 2 or more breaks than we might normally. Oh well. We deal with it.
Destination: Lake George, MI
We arrive with 71 miles on the odometer, but only 69 on route.
1,263 total so far.
I'm pretty tired and sleep will come quickly tonight. So, take care.
A nod to my New Zealand friends. Fred is a good man. And one speed, as noted. :)
Cheers.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Day 21 A BIG Day
Left Yale by 7. Navigation was pretty straight forward. Go north and west. Our first destination is Otter Lake where we pick up our long lost leader, Gay. He has taken a week off to heal his Achilles' tendon. He drove a rental car one way from NY to near our rendezvous location in Otter Lake, MI and hung out at a campground. We are all optimistic he will fully recover. Time will tell. Today we rode about 44 miles to meet him.
When we got back together, Gay was one happy biker! We were all pretty thrilled to be back together. We exchanged handshakes and considered our next moves. Onward to Frankenmuth , our intended destination for the night. It's a Bavarian themed city with lots of tourist attractions.
When we arrived at 12:30, the feeling was it was too early for finding a campsite for the night although we had already biked 62 miles. So, what would be the next destination then with a campground? The only really feasible choice would be Bay City. That's another 35 miles. Don't want to do this kind of mileage every day, but we still have a good amount of time to the day so we decide to press ahead. What am I getting myself into?
The roads were good. I'm very accustomed to riding with Gay. I can trust him when he's in front as he communicates the hazards to come and his next intentions (stop. Go. Turning) so I won't have any problems. We work together well.
Fred, on the other hand, prefers to stay up front and pull. He is strong. He doesn't like to draft. He said he doesn't think we can keep him informed of the hazards and such. Problem is when he's up front, he needs work on his communication skills. He is full of surprises. So it's best that I hang back a ways when he's pulling. Less draft but also less likely to run into him. So be it.
We FINALLY arrive in Bay City. We were looking for the park when we asked directions from a couple in a van that had stopped for us. First they offered verbal instructions but then offered to lead us there like the guy did when we entered back into the States. Of course we accepted. We followed them for a distance longer than it appeared on the map, but it was spot on. We departed with a fist bump and the gentleman was grinning from ear to ear.
When we reached the park, it was perfect. Good space. Flat grassy areas for tents and GREAT showers ( top 2). So now you see why I call it a BIG day. Got back together with Gay and rode 97 miles and have a good place to camp and clean up.
As for tomorrow? Good question. One day at a time.
Ride miles today = 97
Total so far = 1,184 miles
Thanks for following me/us.
Cheers.
KPW
When we got back together, Gay was one happy biker! We were all pretty thrilled to be back together. We exchanged handshakes and considered our next moves. Onward to Frankenmuth , our intended destination for the night. It's a Bavarian themed city with lots of tourist attractions.
When we arrived at 12:30, the feeling was it was too early for finding a campsite for the night although we had already biked 62 miles. So, what would be the next destination then with a campground? The only really feasible choice would be Bay City. That's another 35 miles. Don't want to do this kind of mileage every day, but we still have a good amount of time to the day so we decide to press ahead. What am I getting myself into?
The roads were good. I'm very accustomed to riding with Gay. I can trust him when he's in front as he communicates the hazards to come and his next intentions (stop. Go. Turning) so I won't have any problems. We work together well.
Fred, on the other hand, prefers to stay up front and pull. He is strong. He doesn't like to draft. He said he doesn't think we can keep him informed of the hazards and such. Problem is when he's up front, he needs work on his communication skills. He is full of surprises. So it's best that I hang back a ways when he's pulling. Less draft but also less likely to run into him. So be it.
We FINALLY arrive in Bay City. We were looking for the park when we asked directions from a couple in a van that had stopped for us. First they offered verbal instructions but then offered to lead us there like the guy did when we entered back into the States. Of course we accepted. We followed them for a distance longer than it appeared on the map, but it was spot on. We departed with a fist bump and the gentleman was grinning from ear to ear.
When we reached the park, it was perfect. Good space. Flat grassy areas for tents and GREAT showers ( top 2). So now you see why I call it a BIG day. Got back together with Gay and rode 97 miles and have a good place to camp and clean up.
As for tomorrow? Good question. One day at a time.
Ride miles today = 97
Total so far = 1,184 miles
Thanks for following me/us.
Cheers.
KPW
Monday, June 29, 2015
Day 20 Land of the Free and Home of the Brave
All clothes are clean for a change. Bags loaded. Time to head for the border! Some days navigation is more challenging than others. If we could just get on the interstate, we could get to Sombra in a jiffy. No can do on touring bikes. Gotta go west, then south, then north. Eventually, just get to the St. Claire river and go north. The homes along the way helped make the ride pleasant and scenic. My GoPro battery was dead (my oversight) so I was unable to capture it. Oh well. Such is life.
The ferry was about 24 miles into the day. We arrived at Sombra and waited. Two pedestrians and 3 cars were on hand when we arrived. In the 30 minutes or so we waited, another 7 or 8 cars showed up.
As the ferry arrived, I posed in front for a few pictures while standing at my bike. I'm wearing my TBA Knotts Island t shirt that says "Remain calm and Ferry on ". Seemed appropriate. We boarded the ferry after the cars and one BIG A#% truck get off. Must have been loaded with hazardous materials. (Wouldn't want to accidentally blow up an international bridge but lose a ferry, no worries. Dime a dozen.Passengers? What passengers?) Got on and found a spot to lean the bikes up front. Crew member came around and collected $3 each for bikes.
The ride was about 10 or 15 minutes. It was pleasant and relaxing. The water was slightly choppy. A little water came in the bow by the steel boat ramp where we were standing. The landing was smooth as expected. We poured onto the staging area for the border crossing. I was pretty excited to be returning to the States.
Don't get me wrong. Canada was beautiful and the people were VERY hospitable. I look forward to returning. Traveling at the speed and range of a touring bike makes it pretty challenging to communicate with my wonderful wife ❤️ and other family members. (Hi mom!) I don't have an international phone plan and wifi was wanting or not available. Ok. I'm addicted.
We breezed through immigration. No imposing questions. Just a welcome back from one of the guards. Felt great to be back in the good old USA! First thing I did was give my wife a call. I just felt better after speaking with her. I'm a lucky man.
Next we had to find our way out of town. Fred has a penchant for stopping people. Doesn't matter if the are running, cutting the grass or driving, or asking for directions or to simply confirm directions, even if we are fairly certain we are doing fine. Well this one guy was not only helpful, he ended up leading the way through town for us! When we said adieu, he asked if he could take our picture. I said only if I could take his. We departed friends.
We followed a dedicated bike trail for many miles. It was well kept as many such trails we had been on. One point we diverged from an inland v a coastal option. This led to some difficulties as the trail progressed. The trail was broken up with driveways and such. We moved over to the road. Soon the trail just ended. Fortunately we were able to conjure up a virtual map now we were back in the states to look for this road or that to bring the directionally impaired duo back on track. Eventually.
As we sailed along, we found ourselves back on roads again. One set of roads were particularly confusing. They were just not labeled correctly. I won't get into it but event we were headed in the right direction. And what a direction it was.
Can you say strong tailwind? It blew us along for miles and miles and miles. We hovered between 15 & 20 mph! With packs mind you. That part of it was kind of fun, but it was still work. Miles of it. We flew. Ok, for a heavy touring bike. Finally, we came to a destination, Yale, MI. A cute little town with a few amenities. No campgrounds. The first hotel was the Yale Hotel. Tried to get in and talk to someone. No one but crickets. Then we saw a sign that said "Closed Monday". Hmm. Keep moving. At the other end of town we found "Sweet Dreams". Just our speed. For the cost of an expensive campsite, we got a room with one bed and a rollaway. Deal! The I keep, Bonnie has dealt with many psycotourists before. She even had a space to store and lock our bikes so we wouldn't have to keep them in the room. Dang. She was understanding and helpful.
I lay prone tapping this blog out thinking about tomorrow. Fred and I will regroup with Gay again. Talked to him and he said he has been busy doing a lot of nothing but eating, icing & healing. We are hopeful that we can ease him back into the swing of things in no time. Fred and I are about 40 miles from Otter Lake, MI, our rendezvous point. Gay is about 2 miles from OL. Time will tell. Time will tell.
Miles traveled today = 65
Total to date @1,093 (@ 1/4 of the way across the Northern Tier route)
Thanks for following along.
Cheers
KPW
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Day 19 On the Road Again
Last night I made a poor decision. I took several of the hosts blankets and thought they'd be suitable for a sleeping pad. Maybe if I was in grade school. Won't make that mistake again. That floor is hard. So much for labor saving ideas. Give me my Thermarest anytime.
The trifecta has mostly passed: heavy rains (50mm+), high winds and cold (upper 40s). The morning did greet us with some rain and chilly temps so, we took extra efforts to prepare ourselves for riding conditions. Fred just piles the layers on like it's subarctic conditions, 4 layers plus a Goretex shell with a hood up, Goretex pants, full gloves. The list goes on. He likes to stay warm. All that would make me turn into a puddle of sweat.
I put on a short sleeve synthetic t under a long sleeved North Face synthetic top with a pair of tights over my riding shorts, regular cycling gloves, sunglasses ( keeps crap out of my eyes but seeing is marginal with rain & road crap accumulating on the glasses) and a cycling cap under my brain bucket (helmet). Now the hard part: a shell. Nylon vest or nylon long sleeves ( you know the bright yellow shells bikers love) that's the question? I started with the vest but felt I was getting too wet so I stopped and switched to the full jacket. It's not fully waterproof so I wouldn't die of overheating. That lasted until I got to the big climb of the day.
As I looked at the 5 to 600 yard long "monster", knowing I would sweat to death in even this short ascent in the long sleeves, I stopped and switched again to the vest. Goods decision. Finally. I stayed with that get up until it started raining sideways again.
Before long, the rain abated and it was time to shed the tights. Easy to do when you're looking for a reason to pause anyway and your luggage carrier is handy. Fred's shell pants are as much as I saw him change. Actually I was pretty wet but stayed warm as long as I was cycling. It's the human furnace thing. When we stopped for a coffee shop break or whatever, the full shell came back out of the bag. The day was VERY breezy.
Fortunately we had a lot of wind blowing in our favor for a long while (45ish miles), then our direction sent us into the teeth of the wind. For about 30 miles we rode along at between 8 & 11 mph. That increases saddle time. Never good. Never. The good news is the terrain was flat. Clearly some of the stiffest wind so far. The rest of the 83 miles we did today were primarily side winds. We were zipping along at 12-13 then!
As we approached Wallaceburg, our destination, a van pulled over some ways in front of us and stopped. Uh oh. What's this? Nothing at all actually. The woman driving saw Fred's NZ flag and flipped out. Her husband is a Kiwi as are her 2 kids and the husband was with her. We sat there on the side of the road and the Kiwis chatted for a while. No interpreter necessary. ( 2 countries separated by a common language.) We bid adieu and went back to our journey.
Today we crossed the1000 mile mark with the total over wing about
That should bring us to about 1,028 miles
Tomorrow we return to the States at the Sombra ferry entering into Michigan. Can't wait.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers, KPW
The trifecta has mostly passed: heavy rains (50mm+), high winds and cold (upper 40s). The morning did greet us with some rain and chilly temps so, we took extra efforts to prepare ourselves for riding conditions. Fred just piles the layers on like it's subarctic conditions, 4 layers plus a Goretex shell with a hood up, Goretex pants, full gloves. The list goes on. He likes to stay warm. All that would make me turn into a puddle of sweat.
I put on a short sleeve synthetic t under a long sleeved North Face synthetic top with a pair of tights over my riding shorts, regular cycling gloves, sunglasses ( keeps crap out of my eyes but seeing is marginal with rain & road crap accumulating on the glasses) and a cycling cap under my brain bucket (helmet). Now the hard part: a shell. Nylon vest or nylon long sleeves ( you know the bright yellow shells bikers love) that's the question? I started with the vest but felt I was getting too wet so I stopped and switched to the full jacket. It's not fully waterproof so I wouldn't die of overheating. That lasted until I got to the big climb of the day.
As I looked at the 5 to 600 yard long "monster", knowing I would sweat to death in even this short ascent in the long sleeves, I stopped and switched again to the vest. Goods decision. Finally. I stayed with that get up until it started raining sideways again.
Before long, the rain abated and it was time to shed the tights. Easy to do when you're looking for a reason to pause anyway and your luggage carrier is handy. Fred's shell pants are as much as I saw him change. Actually I was pretty wet but stayed warm as long as I was cycling. It's the human furnace thing. When we stopped for a coffee shop break or whatever, the full shell came back out of the bag. The day was VERY breezy.
Fortunately we had a lot of wind blowing in our favor for a long while (45ish miles), then our direction sent us into the teeth of the wind. For about 30 miles we rode along at between 8 & 11 mph. That increases saddle time. Never good. Never. The good news is the terrain was flat. Clearly some of the stiffest wind so far. The rest of the 83 miles we did today were primarily side winds. We were zipping along at 12-13 then!
As we approached Wallaceburg, our destination, a van pulled over some ways in front of us and stopped. Uh oh. What's this? Nothing at all actually. The woman driving saw Fred's NZ flag and flipped out. Her husband is a Kiwi as are her 2 kids and the husband was with her. We sat there on the side of the road and the Kiwis chatted for a while. No interpreter necessary. ( 2 countries separated by a common language.) We bid adieu and went back to our journey.
Today we crossed the1000 mile mark with the total over wing about
That should bring us to about 1,028 miles
Tomorrow we return to the States at the Sombra ferry entering into Michigan. Can't wait.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers, KPW
Saturday, June 27, 2015
day 18 Zero day
I stirred about 6, looked outside and was surprised the forecast was off. No rain. Yet. Get up. Pack. Get out. Drop by Bob Henderson's place to use his wifi to check the weather. Ooh. Rain supposed to start any minute now. Bingo! It started. We had a shed to stash our bikes out front of Bob's and a porch for refuge. Nice.
Just in time, too. It started pouring. 5 hours later it's still coming down. Sometimes harder than others. Forecast calling for 50 mm of accumulation. That's a lot of mms! It was not going to be a day for bike touring for this hombre. At first, Fred was chomping at the bit, but slowly he came sound when he saw how bad and prolonged this storm would be. Not fun or safe.
I'm going to walk to lunch and the grocery store now.
Cheers. KPW
0 miles
Forecast: 2 beers (Late note: got that number right. It was at a restaurant next to where I'm staying with a guy playing acoustical guitar. He was ok. When I went to pay the bill, they dropped a bomb on me and said it was cash only. Not that big a deal except I don't have much Canadian currency left. Pissed me off. )
Just in time, too. It started pouring. 5 hours later it's still coming down. Sometimes harder than others. Forecast calling for 50 mm of accumulation. That's a lot of mms! It was not going to be a day for bike touring for this hombre. At first, Fred was chomping at the bit, but slowly he came sound when he saw how bad and prolonged this storm would be. Not fun or safe.
I'm going to walk to lunch and the grocery store now.
Cheers. KPW
0 miles
Forecast: 2 beers (Late note: got that number right. It was at a restaurant next to where I'm staying with a guy playing acoustical guitar. He was ok. When I went to pay the bill, they dropped a bomb on me and said it was cash only. Not that big a deal except I don't have much Canadian currency left. Pissed me off. )
Day 17 Port Stanley or bust
Travel agendas are set largely on a day by day basis depending on the weather and terrain mostly.
While we regularly look over what the Adventure Cycling maps have to tell us about amenities and distances, we have to come to some conclusions about the day's destination goal. Since not much else was readily available in the way of camping between here and there, Port Stanley it is! Oh wait. That's 85 or 90 miles away. Long day in the saddle no matter how you slice it. Off we go, but we keep in mind that goals are somewhat flexible.
Our first stop was Port Dover. The approach roads were horrible. It was a heavy industrial area that looked like a refinery. I was thrilled to escape those trashed roads. We found a library to use wifi so we could check the weather. Saw that the forecast was terrible, heavy rains(@50 mm!) and winds. Shelter in Port Stanley was less of an option with that outlook. Off we go. No time to waste after coffee and breakfast. Tom Horton's is a good place for food and coffee.
Conditions ended up being very favorable. Flat terrain and a strong wind at our backs!! One road was straight as an arrow for 20+ miles! Perfect situation for covering big miles.
We did find one little store for a kind of lunch stop. It had fireworks, too. I was considering a jet propulsion of some type, then I thought of the bang at the end. Jus peddle. I didn't eat just sucked down a diet coke. Mistake. I had to stop 10 miles down the road and snarf down a Cliff bar. I was fighting off a big bonk. A while later down the road, I felt a ton better. Whew.
There were a few little hills around the waterways but nothing serious. On one of the early hills, as usual, my strategy for getting up the next rise is to haul ass down the hill to gather momentum for the climb. That works beautifully on tandems and loaded bikes as you can shift up and down gears like a big old 18 wheeler, unless your cleat comes out of the pedal, which is exactly what happened, as it ended up, on more than one occasion. The left cleat that attaches my shoe to my pedal is done. Something I lived in mortal fear for earlier in the trip. I saw a set of cleats at a bike shop in Henrietta , NY and I got them! The crazy thing is the cleats were Kevlar so I figured they'd last. Wrong! To my biking readers, I used the Look style pedals because of the shoes I wear. I have yet to find a pair of spd compatible shoes that I can use for touring. It's my quirky feet. Sigh. I use cleat covers when I can but cleats don't hold up to rigors of toe grinding stops and starts on a day to day basis.
We did meet one bike tourist headed east. He was from NH and was aware of the challenges ahead. Poor bastard. He was in a very similar situation as myself. Had 6 weeks to ride last summer and 6 weeks to finish this year. He's a HS teacher. Fun to talk to others along the way and briefly compare notes.
As the day toils on, we get nearer to Port Stanley. Let me tell you, Fred can crank out some mileage. I think I'm pretty solid in the mileage department. Compared to Fred, I'm a rookie. That man is the Energizer Bunny personified. He has one speed, all out. Sometimes I like to ease back, but that will just make Fred wait a bit longer. I have a GoPro camera mounted on my bike s I can capture images without stopping. That, too, is a work in progress.
We reached Port Stanley about 4, plenty of time to find a place to stay. No calling ahead since I don't have an international plan. The first place we saw, Kettle Creek Inn, was too pricey as we noted on line earlier, but the woman there was immensely helpful . She put us onto a man that gave us access to his "patch of grass" located next to the local marina (with showers) to ouch our tents. He had friends over so we couldn't stay at his place. It could not have worked out any better. After we set camp and cleaned up, Fred dove into his tent by 7:30 his usual. Since we were in a tourist town, I decided to go have a beer.. I found a place with entertainment and enjoyed my one pale ale. Ah. A toast to my family and friends! Ching Ching. Camp was 3 short blocks away.
Rode 85 miles
Total @945 mile along the route
While we regularly look over what the Adventure Cycling maps have to tell us about amenities and distances, we have to come to some conclusions about the day's destination goal. Since not much else was readily available in the way of camping between here and there, Port Stanley it is! Oh wait. That's 85 or 90 miles away. Long day in the saddle no matter how you slice it. Off we go, but we keep in mind that goals are somewhat flexible.
Our first stop was Port Dover. The approach roads were horrible. It was a heavy industrial area that looked like a refinery. I was thrilled to escape those trashed roads. We found a library to use wifi so we could check the weather. Saw that the forecast was terrible, heavy rains(@50 mm!) and winds. Shelter in Port Stanley was less of an option with that outlook. Off we go. No time to waste after coffee and breakfast. Tom Horton's is a good place for food and coffee.
Conditions ended up being very favorable. Flat terrain and a strong wind at our backs!! One road was straight as an arrow for 20+ miles! Perfect situation for covering big miles.
We did find one little store for a kind of lunch stop. It had fireworks, too. I was considering a jet propulsion of some type, then I thought of the bang at the end. Jus peddle. I didn't eat just sucked down a diet coke. Mistake. I had to stop 10 miles down the road and snarf down a Cliff bar. I was fighting off a big bonk. A while later down the road, I felt a ton better. Whew.
There were a few little hills around the waterways but nothing serious. On one of the early hills, as usual, my strategy for getting up the next rise is to haul ass down the hill to gather momentum for the climb. That works beautifully on tandems and loaded bikes as you can shift up and down gears like a big old 18 wheeler, unless your cleat comes out of the pedal, which is exactly what happened, as it ended up, on more than one occasion. The left cleat that attaches my shoe to my pedal is done. Something I lived in mortal fear for earlier in the trip. I saw a set of cleats at a bike shop in Henrietta , NY and I got them! The crazy thing is the cleats were Kevlar so I figured they'd last. Wrong! To my biking readers, I used the Look style pedals because of the shoes I wear. I have yet to find a pair of spd compatible shoes that I can use for touring. It's my quirky feet. Sigh. I use cleat covers when I can but cleats don't hold up to rigors of toe grinding stops and starts on a day to day basis.
We did meet one bike tourist headed east. He was from NH and was aware of the challenges ahead. Poor bastard. He was in a very similar situation as myself. Had 6 weeks to ride last summer and 6 weeks to finish this year. He's a HS teacher. Fun to talk to others along the way and briefly compare notes.
As the day toils on, we get nearer to Port Stanley. Let me tell you, Fred can crank out some mileage. I think I'm pretty solid in the mileage department. Compared to Fred, I'm a rookie. That man is the Energizer Bunny personified. He has one speed, all out. Sometimes I like to ease back, but that will just make Fred wait a bit longer. I have a GoPro camera mounted on my bike s I can capture images without stopping. That, too, is a work in progress.
We reached Port Stanley about 4, plenty of time to find a place to stay. No calling ahead since I don't have an international plan. The first place we saw, Kettle Creek Inn, was too pricey as we noted on line earlier, but the woman there was immensely helpful . She put us onto a man that gave us access to his "patch of grass" located next to the local marina (with showers) to ouch our tents. He had friends over so we couldn't stay at his place. It could not have worked out any better. After we set camp and cleaned up, Fred dove into his tent by 7:30 his usual. Since we were in a tourist town, I decided to go have a beer.. I found a place with entertainment and enjoyed my one pale ale. Ah. A toast to my family and friends! Ching Ching. Camp was 3 short blocks away.
Rode 85 miles
Total @945 mile along the route
Day 16 Canada part 2
Fort Erie was hospitable enough. Found a good Itilian restaurant. Note: I'd starve to death if it wasn't for the Itilians. FE is in the shadow of the Friendship bridge which leads to the States. This is about 15 or 20 miles from the Falls.
The ride was pretty pleasant today with only mild headwinds but pretty flat terrain.
As the ride was day before yesterday, nothing stands out in my mind about it except we navigated our way along the lake's shore. Nice houses and largely well kept yards. Leading to FE. Same kind of scenery along the way. 50 & 60 kph speeds mostly so the riding was enjoyable. Long spans between villages for food and drinks for next few days. Camping limited so we have to plan our days accordingly.
Actually, leaving FE, we followed the Friendship Trail for perhaps 25 miles. This was a dedicated multipurpose route that would cross over roads and thru towns. Ridgeway was a fave stop for coffee
we stumbled upon as we do most things on this journey. Food, coffee and locals were all above par.
Fred and I decided to make for a campground in the Long Point region called the Haldimand Campsite located by a big pavilion. We were the only tents so we had the run of that area. No wifi but didn't get charged anything either. Seniors on bikes does have its advantages. The spot I picked was on the water's edge, up on a small bluff that made for an unobstructed view. The breeze was nice but the sun was pretty intense. Fortunately, I picked a site that was shaded as the day progressed. Fred's tent was in a flat grassy spot closer to the pavilion. Downside, showers and bathrooms were 200 yards away. We do suffer so :)
Meals consisted of 1 pot of pasta and broccoli with a tin of chicken. Desert was a Snickers bar I happily discovered.
Mileage 65
The ride was pretty pleasant today with only mild headwinds but pretty flat terrain.
As the ride was day before yesterday, nothing stands out in my mind about it except we navigated our way along the lake's shore. Nice houses and largely well kept yards. Leading to FE. Same kind of scenery along the way. 50 & 60 kph speeds mostly so the riding was enjoyable. Long spans between villages for food and drinks for next few days. Camping limited so we have to plan our days accordingly.
Actually, leaving FE, we followed the Friendship Trail for perhaps 25 miles. This was a dedicated multipurpose route that would cross over roads and thru towns. Ridgeway was a fave stop for coffee
we stumbled upon as we do most things on this journey. Food, coffee and locals were all above par.
Fred and I decided to make for a campground in the Long Point region called the Haldimand Campsite located by a big pavilion. We were the only tents so we had the run of that area. No wifi but didn't get charged anything either. Seniors on bikes does have its advantages. The spot I picked was on the water's edge, up on a small bluff that made for an unobstructed view. The breeze was nice but the sun was pretty intense. Fortunately, I picked a site that was shaded as the day progressed. Fred's tent was in a flat grassy spot closer to the pavilion. Downside, showers and bathrooms were 200 yards away. We do suffer so :)
Meals consisted of 1 pot of pasta and broccoli with a tin of chicken. Desert was a Snickers bar I happily discovered.
Mileage 65
Friday, June 26, 2015
Day 15 Oh Canada!
We left a bit later than normal. 7:20 thanks to yours truly. I overslept til 6:00 am. Stayed up too late blogging I guess. Getting to the canal was uneventful. We rode the pathway one more day. In describing it as packed sand in an earlier entry was not a good description. It's a typical hard packed cinder/sand/dirt path. Better for running than biking. Glad it wasn't raining. Anyway, the wind was very light but still in our face. The temp was perfect for riding, in the 60s. It was toppled off with a bluebird sky.
We eventually departed from the canal. In doing so at Lockport, we climbed parallel a series of locks. The path we were on was reminiscent of the final pitch of that Bitchin climb in VT, but shorter. I had the energy to stand on my pedals the whole way. I'm disappointed that I didn't have the energy to stop mid climb for pictures. From there we had our navigational challenge to work our way through town. We only missed one turn and was able to use the maps app on my iPhone to get us reoriented. It compliments the hard copy pretty well.
As we bugged out of town, we followed a road through the more rural areas. It could have easily been the clone of the Creeds ride in VIrginia Beach. The farms and houses were kept up. Lots of space. And flat. Very flat. This 20 mile segment was pretty and pastoral.
Next up, Canada.
At the end of that road, we were headed into the border. Getting there was another matter. The first ramp we came to is the one we were supposed to take. But no, we couldn't. On bikes we could probably have easily worked our way through but given the location, we followed the car route. Go up. Make a U turn. Go up the overpass and take next cloverleaf right which leads to another flyover which takes you to the right exit towards Canada. Sheesh.
Right before we went over the Peace bridge, I pulled over to speak with my bride. I didn't have international service and wanted to talk before the few days with limited connection. I also talked with my dear mother to let her know what's up. Even when you're 60 you are still your mother's son. I have an awesome mom. Awesome. Ok. Contact made. Time to enter Canada. We rolled up to the immigration officer. She quizzed us after looking at our passports. Where. Why. How long. Itinerary. That sort of thing. After a while, she just seemed to want to know more about our adventure.
We had to pay a $1 toll for the 2 bikes on the bridge. Cars=$4.50 I think.
We next got onto Niagra Falls Parkway or so such name. Soon we stopped at a tourist trap for lunch. You know the place, it has cheesy props to take pictures beside fake waterfalls.
Falls were cool. You've seen the pics before. Spectacular!
No buts today. Fred and I decided this was the best day of riding so far.
Gotta cut it short rode @64 today. Stayed in Fort Erie.
Will catch up on Saturday as it's Friday now. Big weather coming in so anticipate hunkering down depending on the conditions.
Cheers! KPW
We eventually departed from the canal. In doing so at Lockport, we climbed parallel a series of locks. The path we were on was reminiscent of the final pitch of that Bitchin climb in VT, but shorter. I had the energy to stand on my pedals the whole way. I'm disappointed that I didn't have the energy to stop mid climb for pictures. From there we had our navigational challenge to work our way through town. We only missed one turn and was able to use the maps app on my iPhone to get us reoriented. It compliments the hard copy pretty well.
As we bugged out of town, we followed a road through the more rural areas. It could have easily been the clone of the Creeds ride in VIrginia Beach. The farms and houses were kept up. Lots of space. And flat. Very flat. This 20 mile segment was pretty and pastoral.
Next up, Canada.
At the end of that road, we were headed into the border. Getting there was another matter. The first ramp we came to is the one we were supposed to take. But no, we couldn't. On bikes we could probably have easily worked our way through but given the location, we followed the car route. Go up. Make a U turn. Go up the overpass and take next cloverleaf right which leads to another flyover which takes you to the right exit towards Canada. Sheesh.
Right before we went over the Peace bridge, I pulled over to speak with my bride. I didn't have international service and wanted to talk before the few days with limited connection. I also talked with my dear mother to let her know what's up. Even when you're 60 you are still your mother's son. I have an awesome mom. Awesome. Ok. Contact made. Time to enter Canada. We rolled up to the immigration officer. She quizzed us after looking at our passports. Where. Why. How long. Itinerary. That sort of thing. After a while, she just seemed to want to know more about our adventure.
We had to pay a $1 toll for the 2 bikes on the bridge. Cars=$4.50 I think.
We next got onto Niagra Falls Parkway or so such name. Soon we stopped at a tourist trap for lunch. You know the place, it has cheesy props to take pictures beside fake waterfalls.
Falls were cool. You've seen the pics before. Spectacular!
No buts today. Fred and I decided this was the best day of riding so far.
Gotta cut it short rode @64 today. Stayed in Fort Erie.
Will catch up on Saturday as it's Friday now. Big weather coming in so anticipate hunkering down depending on the conditions.
Cheers! KPW
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Day 14 Lost and Found
Navigation by Advevture Cycling maps is an art. As Fred said, and I paraphrase, "you have to get into their mind set. Figure out how to walk in their moccasins as you interpret it." Ok. I buy it. Gay is an awesome navigator. He has a sense about how they operate. He doesn't move forward unless he knows where he is and what his next step should be. Sounds simple until you try to match directions with reality and a rotten sense of direction. (Note to deceased father: Sorry Pop. That gene skipped my DNA code.)
Now. Just follow art 15 until you reach the canal trail and take it to Buffalo. No problemo. Fine until you almost pass over the canal because of all the road work and traffic in the area. When we do backtrack and find our way to the trail, riding along was bliss. Oh wait. The trail splits off. This stays by the river, follow that. It turns in another odd direction. Ok this feels right. Oh look. There's someone to ask for help. Go this way and follow these arrows? Cool. Wonder around and find our way back and saw the same guy. He corrected his earlier "helpful" suggestion. Oh we are really on track now. And so it went. FOREVER. Talked to a few people, even a pair of firemen. No help. We finally put our heads together between the AC map and Google maps to find our way. I'm too embarrassed to tell you how many miles, yes miles, we went out of our way and how much time we lost. Time to move on, folks. Nothing to see here.
The Canal trail, not the river or the green trails, by the way, was largely hard packed sand. Yes, that same evil stuff that has already caused me a lot of grief so far. This time it was pretty firm and friendly. It was interspersed with paved areas near roads. But, occasionally sand would pile up and/or develop soft treacherous spots. On several occasions, I was tooling along, minding my own business then, "Gotcha!" My wheel/s would fall prey to sand traps. Options were: simply fall over, fall over into gravel, plunge into the cana or make a save and keep on keeping on. Rubber side down. With gale force headwinds, all of these were a distinct possibility. The latter was how Fred and I both managed to continue.
Seriously . The winds were blowing hard into our faces making forward progress... a bit challenging . The entire ride. That's ok. It's still better that ME, VT, or HH grades.
Numerous little drawbridges along the way at virtually every little, or big town along the way. We stopped for Texas Barbque along the way. A fun little bike shop surfaced too. He had pretty high end inventory considering his lonely outpost.
We stopped in Medina for the night. It's not the same without the 3rd stooge but Fred and I are getting along just fine.
Less than 35 miles to Niagra Falls and Canada.
We're about 750 miles into our journey.
Cheers. KPW
Now. Just follow art 15 until you reach the canal trail and take it to Buffalo. No problemo. Fine until you almost pass over the canal because of all the road work and traffic in the area. When we do backtrack and find our way to the trail, riding along was bliss. Oh wait. The trail splits off. This stays by the river, follow that. It turns in another odd direction. Ok this feels right. Oh look. There's someone to ask for help. Go this way and follow these arrows? Cool. Wonder around and find our way back and saw the same guy. He corrected his earlier "helpful" suggestion. Oh we are really on track now. And so it went. FOREVER. Talked to a few people, even a pair of firemen. No help. We finally put our heads together between the AC map and Google maps to find our way. I'm too embarrassed to tell you how many miles, yes miles, we went out of our way and how much time we lost. Time to move on, folks. Nothing to see here.
The Canal trail, not the river or the green trails, by the way, was largely hard packed sand. Yes, that same evil stuff that has already caused me a lot of grief so far. This time it was pretty firm and friendly. It was interspersed with paved areas near roads. But, occasionally sand would pile up and/or develop soft treacherous spots. On several occasions, I was tooling along, minding my own business then, "Gotcha!" My wheel/s would fall prey to sand traps. Options were: simply fall over, fall over into gravel, plunge into the cana or make a save and keep on keeping on. Rubber side down. With gale force headwinds, all of these were a distinct possibility. The latter was how Fred and I both managed to continue.
Seriously . The winds were blowing hard into our faces making forward progress... a bit challenging . The entire ride. That's ok. It's still better that ME, VT, or HH grades.
Numerous little drawbridges along the way at virtually every little, or big town along the way. We stopped for Texas Barbque along the way. A fun little bike shop surfaced too. He had pretty high end inventory considering his lonely outpost.
We stopped in Medina for the night. It's not the same without the 3rd stooge but Fred and I are getting along just fine.
Less than 35 miles to Niagra Falls and Canada.
We're about 750 miles into our journey.
Cheers. KPW
Monday, June 22, 2015
Day 13 Trouble in Paradise
What started out as a rest day has dissolved into something entirely different. Fred is good except for lingering bug bites. My bike is healed and my sprained wrist is improving rapidly. The road rash is hardly noticeable unless I tag it. Gay's Achilles' tendon, well that's another story.
Denial. That's a great place to visit. He had been nursing it for a couple of days but hasn't let on how painful it had become. When Gay came to grips that ice wasn't doing the trick, he decided to find a local doctor. Bottom line, Gay's gotta take a week off.
After a lot of discussion, we worked out a plan. Fred and I will carry on until Gay can recover and meet up with us. He's going to rent a car and meet us in a week in Michigan, about 400 miles from here in Henrietta, the amount of time the doc said he needed to recover. (Pray the doc is spot on.)
Gay may have won the polka dot jersey (think Tour de France for you nonbikers reading this) for his climbing prowess, but it's destroyed his yellow jersey status. :)
His Achilles felt like a bow being dragged across a violin when he flexed. It was weird. An ultrasound showed there was no tear so that's why he can consider continuing. Whew... I am really sad that he is injured and must stand down for a while but happy that we have a contingency plan in place for him to rejoin us!
This little band will have to find our navigational footing without him. He is a Master Navigator. (Don't read that wrong.) Fred and I have differing styles but get along just fine. Our riding pace is compatible. It'll be interesting.
To date, we have covered right at 700 miles.
Cheers.
KPW
Denial. That's a great place to visit. He had been nursing it for a couple of days but hasn't let on how painful it had become. When Gay came to grips that ice wasn't doing the trick, he decided to find a local doctor. Bottom line, Gay's gotta take a week off.
After a lot of discussion, we worked out a plan. Fred and I will carry on until Gay can recover and meet up with us. He's going to rent a car and meet us in a week in Michigan, about 400 miles from here in Henrietta, the amount of time the doc said he needed to recover. (Pray the doc is spot on.)
Gay may have won the polka dot jersey (think Tour de France for you nonbikers reading this) for his climbing prowess, but it's destroyed his yellow jersey status. :)
His Achilles felt like a bow being dragged across a violin when he flexed. It was weird. An ultrasound showed there was no tear so that's why he can consider continuing. Whew... I am really sad that he is injured and must stand down for a while but happy that we have a contingency plan in place for him to rejoin us!
This little band will have to find our navigational footing without him. He is a Master Navigator. (Don't read that wrong.) Fred and I have differing styles but get along just fine. Our riding pace is compatible. It'll be interesting.
To date, we have covered right at 700 miles.
Cheers.
KPW
Day 11 Still wobbling
Note: I had written and (thought I'd) published my account of Day 11. Fail. So, I'll try another time.
Destination: Fulton. Doyle's Bike Shop. 24 miles from Port Ontario. Now, if only my bike can make it. No need for a typical early push since the shop probably won't be open until 10. A typical pace is about 10 mph, considering hills and load. A relatively leisurely morning sitting about drinking coffee was atypical. Fred and Gay like to get up and down the road straight away. Fred turns in around 7:30 pm each evening so it's no wonder he's up before the sun. Gay bails after dark. Me, I'm the night owl. I crash between 10 & 11, depending on how long it takes me to write this blog or how riveting my book is.
The ride to Fulton was scenic and hilly. Last year, I toured Upstate NY for 3.5 days with my wife, Pam, and another couple, Bill and Sandy Doyle. Bill and Sandy were riding from Ticonderoga to Niagra Falls. They are doing the Northern Tier pieces at a time. Their idea is frankly what eventually motivated yours truly. Thanks, Bill and Sandy, I think. Pam and I had the good fortune to start our ride 50 or so miles west of Ti. We ended our journey in Fulton.
We showed up in Fulton before 11 and located Doyle's Bike Shop (no relation). The recumbent bike out front gave me hope. We went inside and my hope was dashed. It was a family shop with mostly mountain bikes and BMXs. The proprietor was a very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful man. He knew the specs my looking at the wheel. Shaking his head, he said he couldn't fix it but would check his inventory. Nothing doing. He said he could make it better though.
He put the wheel in a truing stand and spent some quality time with it. 20 - 30 minutes later he gave it back. Better but still short. Now it has a hop as well as a wobble. I could probably come up with a tune in my head that accompanied the roll. Sigh.
I thanked him profusely for his effort. He refused payment for his time. I was touched by his compassion for my problem. What next? Lunch!
He enthusiastically recommended the Greek diner next door. His mouth was watering as he spoke. We walked our bikes over and went inside.
The building was well past its prime. The menu was simple. Signs were attached to the wall with yellowing tape. They proudly accepted charge AND debit cards. The food and service was good. Fred had his first giro and he described it as "very nice ". The owner, an old Greek gent was proud of being old school. Onward to our final destination for the day. South Shore RV Park in Sodus.
Oh yeah, Gay spotted a local pharmacy a few doors down from lunch. Another old school kind of place. I found a suitable supportive wrist wrap. The owner operated the register. The total with a candy bar was @$10.68. He said, "$10 is good." That put a smile on my face.
Hmm... What to do with my ride? Ok, ride it. Still not many other good options. It's better, not great. Better. I was really thankful that it was rideable at all. The logistics would be horrendous if any of our bikes broke down. Shiver. Don't worry. Be happy. Ride.
As the day wore on, so did my comfort. The road went from pretty flat to pretty hilly. Ugh. The last 15 to 20 miles were scenic but was lost to my evaporating spirit. I was tired and looking forward to rest and a shower. Since Gay stopped drinking soft drinks, the rest stops seemed a little further apart. The saddle was less comfortable. My hands were numb since I was limited in the positions I could use with my sprained wrist. The support really helped though.
Finally we arrived. Never been so happy to see an RV Park in memory. The people had hosted bike tourists before. The cost was only $15! A boost to my sagging spirit. We earned an escort to our flat, grassy tent site complete with water faucets and electricity for charging our phones and only a short hike to restroom and shower. Ah, the shower. This amenity earned top ratings so far this journey. Bar none. Spacious. Clean. Well lit. Hooks for hanging stuff and no quarters necessary to feed the warm water beast.
The highlight of my day was getting to speak with my bride. She called as dinner was just being finished cooking and I was lighting into my one hot meal. Hearing her voice was the food I needed most. A few minutes later, it started to rain. I scrambled to collect my stuff I wanted to keep dry, my pot of dinner and dove for the tent, all while talking to Pam.
The day ended with blogging day 10s episode.
Cheers.
64 miles today. Felt longer. Looking forward to to tomorrow and the prospect of getting my bike back up to speed.
Destination: Fulton. Doyle's Bike Shop. 24 miles from Port Ontario. Now, if only my bike can make it. No need for a typical early push since the shop probably won't be open until 10. A typical pace is about 10 mph, considering hills and load. A relatively leisurely morning sitting about drinking coffee was atypical. Fred and Gay like to get up and down the road straight away. Fred turns in around 7:30 pm each evening so it's no wonder he's up before the sun. Gay bails after dark. Me, I'm the night owl. I crash between 10 & 11, depending on how long it takes me to write this blog or how riveting my book is.
The ride to Fulton was scenic and hilly. Last year, I toured Upstate NY for 3.5 days with my wife, Pam, and another couple, Bill and Sandy Doyle. Bill and Sandy were riding from Ticonderoga to Niagra Falls. They are doing the Northern Tier pieces at a time. Their idea is frankly what eventually motivated yours truly. Thanks, Bill and Sandy, I think. Pam and I had the good fortune to start our ride 50 or so miles west of Ti. We ended our journey in Fulton.
We showed up in Fulton before 11 and located Doyle's Bike Shop (no relation). The recumbent bike out front gave me hope. We went inside and my hope was dashed. It was a family shop with mostly mountain bikes and BMXs. The proprietor was a very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful man. He knew the specs my looking at the wheel. Shaking his head, he said he couldn't fix it but would check his inventory. Nothing doing. He said he could make it better though.
He put the wheel in a truing stand and spent some quality time with it. 20 - 30 minutes later he gave it back. Better but still short. Now it has a hop as well as a wobble. I could probably come up with a tune in my head that accompanied the roll. Sigh.
I thanked him profusely for his effort. He refused payment for his time. I was touched by his compassion for my problem. What next? Lunch!
He enthusiastically recommended the Greek diner next door. His mouth was watering as he spoke. We walked our bikes over and went inside.
The building was well past its prime. The menu was simple. Signs were attached to the wall with yellowing tape. They proudly accepted charge AND debit cards. The food and service was good. Fred had his first giro and he described it as "very nice ". The owner, an old Greek gent was proud of being old school. Onward to our final destination for the day. South Shore RV Park in Sodus.
Oh yeah, Gay spotted a local pharmacy a few doors down from lunch. Another old school kind of place. I found a suitable supportive wrist wrap. The owner operated the register. The total with a candy bar was @$10.68. He said, "$10 is good." That put a smile on my face.
Hmm... What to do with my ride? Ok, ride it. Still not many other good options. It's better, not great. Better. I was really thankful that it was rideable at all. The logistics would be horrendous if any of our bikes broke down. Shiver. Don't worry. Be happy. Ride.
As the day wore on, so did my comfort. The road went from pretty flat to pretty hilly. Ugh. The last 15 to 20 miles were scenic but was lost to my evaporating spirit. I was tired and looking forward to rest and a shower. Since Gay stopped drinking soft drinks, the rest stops seemed a little further apart. The saddle was less comfortable. My hands were numb since I was limited in the positions I could use with my sprained wrist. The support really helped though.
Finally we arrived. Never been so happy to see an RV Park in memory. The people had hosted bike tourists before. The cost was only $15! A boost to my sagging spirit. We earned an escort to our flat, grassy tent site complete with water faucets and electricity for charging our phones and only a short hike to restroom and shower. Ah, the shower. This amenity earned top ratings so far this journey. Bar none. Spacious. Clean. Well lit. Hooks for hanging stuff and no quarters necessary to feed the warm water beast.
The highlight of my day was getting to speak with my bride. She called as dinner was just being finished cooking and I was lighting into my one hot meal. Hearing her voice was the food I needed most. A few minutes later, it started to rain. I scrambled to collect my stuff I wanted to keep dry, my pot of dinner and dove for the tent, all while talking to Pam.
The day ended with blogging day 10s episode.
Cheers.
64 miles today. Felt longer. Looking forward to to tomorrow and the prospect of getting my bike back up to speed.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Day 12 A Father's Day gift
Criminey. What's it gonna take to get a new wheel? We knew we couldn't pass by Rochester without getting the job done. Rochester would be the last best chance to find a good bike shop to bring my bike back up to speed. 35 miles to the first shop. Problem: It's Sunday. As the morning played out, I made phone calls to see if it was open. Rats. By 11:00 I gave up on the first shop. Time to move further down the line.
Towpath Bikes would be open til 5. Promising.
The ride went from hilly to resemble Virginia Beach flat. Finally. Even cooler, it was along the Erie Canal as we entered Palmyra. (My colleague, Randy Drake hails from there. That explains a lot.) The towpath that parallels the canal is a mixed bag of pavement, gravel and packed dirt. The route was scenic and tremendously different from the miles of pavement we've been traversing. Interesting boats tied up along the way. Park displays and operational locks to boot.
Fred is exceptional at coming up to people to talk to them and especially when it comes to asking for directions. He stopped on guy running along the path pushing a baby jogger and asked about how we might find the bike shop. The man helped us find a shortcut across the town which saved us a few miles of travel along the waterway.
Riding through town was a bit frantic after the quiet towpath. But then we took a turn and EUREKA! Towpath Bike Shop. It was a full service shop with several mechanics and lots of everything a bike shop could have. I took my front panniers off, pulled my wobbly a&$ wheel off and went inside. After waiting patiently for a few minutes, I was directed to the mechanics. He looked at my wheel and said he would have to look in the basement and to keep my fingers crossed. 10 long minutes later, he returned.... with a wheel that would work!! Actually, it was a (mountain bike) 29er wheel. It only had 32 spokes but it took a disc brake. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. He got right to it. 30 minutes later, I was whole again. What a great day this turned out to be. He even dialed in my brakes to perfection.
He only charged for the wheel, gave me a 15% discount and no labor charge. Gay got some cable work done, too. Bikes taken care of, now it's time to consider accommodations.
We did a bit of sleuthing and figured out that the next campground was 35 miles away. It was late. We were tired. Gay's Achilles was killing him :( So, we found a budget Super 8 not far off route. Perfect.
Time for a late lunch before we push off and wind our way using a digital map (my Aple phone) to find the motel in the next town. My protégés are typically averse to such nonsense as they are truly masters of the paper maps. Success certainly helps make new inroads.
55 miles today
Not all of it was on the route. I'll be doing some calculating and post it later.
Cheers and Happy Father's Day.
My "Pop" died in his sleep @4.5 years ago now at 90. I miss him dearly. He would not approve of nor understand this insanity.
Towpath Bikes would be open til 5. Promising.
The ride went from hilly to resemble Virginia Beach flat. Finally. Even cooler, it was along the Erie Canal as we entered Palmyra. (My colleague, Randy Drake hails from there. That explains a lot.) The towpath that parallels the canal is a mixed bag of pavement, gravel and packed dirt. The route was scenic and tremendously different from the miles of pavement we've been traversing. Interesting boats tied up along the way. Park displays and operational locks to boot.
Fred is exceptional at coming up to people to talk to them and especially when it comes to asking for directions. He stopped on guy running along the path pushing a baby jogger and asked about how we might find the bike shop. The man helped us find a shortcut across the town which saved us a few miles of travel along the waterway.
Riding through town was a bit frantic after the quiet towpath. But then we took a turn and EUREKA! Towpath Bike Shop. It was a full service shop with several mechanics and lots of everything a bike shop could have. I took my front panniers off, pulled my wobbly a&$ wheel off and went inside. After waiting patiently for a few minutes, I was directed to the mechanics. He looked at my wheel and said he would have to look in the basement and to keep my fingers crossed. 10 long minutes later, he returned.... with a wheel that would work!! Actually, it was a (mountain bike) 29er wheel. It only had 32 spokes but it took a disc brake. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. He got right to it. 30 minutes later, I was whole again. What a great day this turned out to be. He even dialed in my brakes to perfection.
He only charged for the wheel, gave me a 15% discount and no labor charge. Gay got some cable work done, too. Bikes taken care of, now it's time to consider accommodations.
We did a bit of sleuthing and figured out that the next campground was 35 miles away. It was late. We were tired. Gay's Achilles was killing him :( So, we found a budget Super 8 not far off route. Perfect.
Time for a late lunch before we push off and wind our way using a digital map (my Aple phone) to find the motel in the next town. My protégés are typically averse to such nonsense as they are truly masters of the paper maps. Success certainly helps make new inroads.
55 miles today
Not all of it was on the route. I'll be doing some calculating and post it later.
Cheers and Happy Father's Day.
My "Pop" died in his sleep @4.5 years ago now at 90. I miss him dearly. He would not approve of nor understand this insanity.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Day 10 Drama
We left Old Forge at 6:30 after coffee and bagels. An unusually casual twist to the forward moving routine. Usually, we catch some food and coffee at the first stop. As I've mentioned before, that may not happen quickly into the ride.
The day we planned, was to take us to 55 miles or 79 miles, depending on the terrain, weather or how we were feeling along the way. 79 seemed realistic if the terrain cooperated. That means if it wasn't very hilly. Hills can suck the life out of you after a while. If you've read this blog so far, I'm sure I've made that point crystal clear. After 9 days of climbing, we are hopeful for some relief.
At 35 miles I was begging to get off the saddle for a while. I was in a grumpy mood since the turn to Raquette Lake was missed. Sometimes we don't get enough time to smell the flowers. The quality of the road and flatter terrain made it easier to focus on riding and less on being annoyed. Raquette Lake is a pretty cool little village on the lake a park. That vicinity is where Randy Drake takes his Winter Camping class over Spring Break. Break time usually elevates the mood.
We were making good time. Riding was good. Around 60 miles into the ride we had committed to doing the 79 mile destination at Port Ontario. I was in front for a change as we were riding past an abandoned house. I looked back at it when I veered a bit to the right and went off the road. It happens from time to time. Carrying heavy packs and traveling close to the edge isn't a good mix. Trucks barrel down the road from time to time so we try not to tango with them and give them their road space.
Sand. It's evil stuff. It gets into everything. Your shoes. Shorts. Gear. When it's piled up at any depth, it becomes a conspiracy. That's what I found waiting for me on the side of the road. F$&@#£€g sand. Not easy riding dirt or gravel. Sand. Unrecoverable, unstable sand. I spilled over into the road. No traffic, thank the Almighy. Before I knew it, Gay was there picking the bike off me. Remember it was laden with gear.
Helmets are good. Shoulda been wearing wrist and elbow guards, too. Minor road rash on my right elbow. The wrist didn't become an issue until later. Even though I only tagged the back of my helmet ever so slightly, it's time for a new brain bucket! Now, my bike. That's another story.
The front wheel took a beating. Everything else was fine. The rim sports a new double camber. What that means is it's bent to hell. If you're a Facebook friend, you can see the short video of it. Gay broke out his spoke wrench and tried to help straighten it. Beyond hope. I put the wheel, such as it was, back on the bike to see if it could somehow be used. Well, the wheel is still round and with disc brakes, the brakes were in working order! Just try not to look at it rolling. Would it really work? Would it hold up? Only one way to find out. Roll with it. Out in the middle of nowhere, options were limited.
19 miles later we reached a motel in Port Ontario. Lick and assess my wounds and wounded pride. You see, I think, er thought, I was a pretty good bike handler. Hmmm. This does NOT boost the confidence level.
Tomorrow, we find a bike shop. Absolutely! Doctor? Nah.
79 miles today.
586 miles into the route. That's 58.6 miles per day average. The target is 60 so far, we're good.
Friday, June 19, 2015
Thursday Day 9
We ended the day after 45 miles with plenty of climbing but nothing that rates on the grueling gauge.
That in itself is remarkable after reading about my lack of climbing prowess. I have to face it. When this journey began, I hit the scales at 200. That's a lot to haul up anything much less with another 85 pounds of bike, water and gear. I just have to keep telling myself that if it doesn't kill me it'll make me stronger.
We ended up in Old Forge, a pretty nice town. Good for laundry and a Post Office. Mailed back some shoes that I've given a free ride across 3.5 states.
One cheap thrill though. Walking to a convenience store, 2 fawns were eating the grass out front. I walked between them close enough to pat them. Needless to say I didn't. They kept a watchful eye on me and came to me when I left. They wanted to share my goodies. I apologized and waived them off.
Thunderstorms threatened the afternoon and delivered at night. All's well.
We are 507 miles along the Northern Tier Ride.
That in itself is remarkable after reading about my lack of climbing prowess. I have to face it. When this journey began, I hit the scales at 200. That's a lot to haul up anything much less with another 85 pounds of bike, water and gear. I just have to keep telling myself that if it doesn't kill me it'll make me stronger.
We ended up in Old Forge, a pretty nice town. Good for laundry and a Post Office. Mailed back some shoes that I've given a free ride across 3.5 states.
One cheap thrill though. Walking to a convenience store, 2 fawns were eating the grass out front. I walked between them close enough to pat them. Needless to say I didn't. They kept a watchful eye on me and came to me when I left. They wanted to share my goodies. I apologized and waived them off.
Thunderstorms threatened the afternoon and delivered at night. All's well.
We are 507 miles along the Northern Tier Ride.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Into Upstate New York Day 8
Day 8 we left Ticonderoga about 6:30am. The morning was cool and perfect for riding, that is until we turned south towards Schroon Lake. Soon after making the turn, say mile 1.5ish into the ride, we paused together to change our clothing layers, as in take them off! The map doesn't have an elevation profile to give us a clue as to the terrain ahead. We found out the hard way.
Up. That's all we knew. How steep? How long the climb? No friggin clue. I do know that it didn't take long to drop into a serious climbing gear (22x32). An hour later, we reach the top. An hour. In New York. Maybe this will be the last big climb for a while . A short while later, we got a little surprise, another hour of grueling, grinding, panting "fun"! Oh come on now.... Ok. At least it wasn't as steep as Middlebury Pass is all I gotta say.
The rest of that day was relatively easy. Some up and down, a lot of lake views and pretty good road conditions. We were able to make some time. If only my mother in law, Barbara Hartman, lived a little closer, we would have crashed her party. Another time...
At the end of the day, we rode about 68 miles to a campground. 68 miles isn't all that bad in the flatlands, but in the hills, well that's another story all together. One word about relationships. (Not that kind of relationship.) The longer the ride, the more tired your legs are, the closer you are to a campsite , the less picky you are. When we arrived at Hidden Campgrounds, we were had.
A little off the road, an old weather worn house with a cluttered porch served as the office. Ring the bell for service. After some confused discussion, mostly on her, the proprietors part, we agreed to one "site" for $20 total. The site location was ambiguous. Over that way... A resident "camper" steered us a bit closer. The ground was very good for our tents. Showers were $.25 for 2 min. It took 1 min how to regulate the temperature while only getting mildly scalded. We cooked dinner over our MSR multi fuel stoves. No wifi or digital reception. Sleep came easily.
Up. That's all we knew. How steep? How long the climb? No friggin clue. I do know that it didn't take long to drop into a serious climbing gear (22x32). An hour later, we reach the top. An hour. In New York. Maybe this will be the last big climb for a while . A short while later, we got a little surprise, another hour of grueling, grinding, panting "fun"! Oh come on now.... Ok. At least it wasn't as steep as Middlebury Pass is all I gotta say.
The rest of that day was relatively easy. Some up and down, a lot of lake views and pretty good road conditions. We were able to make some time. If only my mother in law, Barbara Hartman, lived a little closer, we would have crashed her party. Another time...
At the end of the day, we rode about 68 miles to a campground. 68 miles isn't all that bad in the flatlands, but in the hills, well that's another story all together. One word about relationships. (Not that kind of relationship.) The longer the ride, the more tired your legs are, the closer you are to a campsite , the less picky you are. When we arrived at Hidden Campgrounds, we were had.
A little off the road, an old weather worn house with a cluttered porch served as the office. Ring the bell for service. After some confused discussion, mostly on her, the proprietors part, we agreed to one "site" for $20 total. The site location was ambiguous. Over that way... A resident "camper" steered us a bit closer. The ground was very good for our tents. Showers were $.25 for 2 min. It took 1 min how to regulate the temperature while only getting mildly scalded. We cooked dinner over our MSR multi fuel stoves. No wifi or digital reception. Sleep came easily.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Welcome to New York? Day 7
We left the B&B at 7. I didn't get to say goodbye to Tsunami, the noisy, friendly cat. We had 20 miles before the start of the road to Middlebury Pass. It didn't look any harder than the last couple of big climbs. I was bringing up the rear as we approached the pass road, about 4 miles from the top. I like to pace myself. Then it happened.
My gear shifter started acting goofy. DANG! The bolt holding it fell out on the road some place! I pulled over, leaned my bike against a pole and walked back to see if I could find it. No luck. Fortunately, in my bag of tricks, I had a bolt that would temporarily do the job. I had no sooner put it back together when Gay and Fred showed up. They knew something was amiss since they couldn't see me and waited. I tried calling Gay but no reception. ( His phone was off anyway.) My shifter was working, but barely. Now onto the climb.
Trucks had been waived off traveling this "scenic " route. We soon found out why. The last 4 miles were Vermont's way of having her way with me, one more time. The next 2 miles were predictably strenuous. 9 to 10% grade or so. Man I am huffing and puffing away, but chugging along. Then, the road ratcheted up the gradient a couple of notches. I started maxing out my feeble aerobic resources. I simply couldn't breathe enough to supply the O2 needed to do the work. So I tried other tricks. Working on my spin. Keep my concentration up. Try to remember all the words to the song rolling around in my head. Nada. Just stop the damn bike and catch your breath and drink something. The 1/2 pint Bushmills (what's left) I had dragged across 3 states was tempting. ;) I did have some extra water that I decided I didn't need so I watered the plant nearby. One pound less to weigh me down. I made 1 or 2 more brief rest stops on the way up. When I finally reached the pass, Fred was standing by a sign on the other side of the road indicating a 12% grade for the next 2 miles. That explains it. The good news is that was our last big climb in Vermont!
The downhill was swift and exciting. I checked my speed unless I could see the road in front of me. I love disc brakes. Curves at speed with a heavy load are a bit disconcerting for me. Especially with so many ruts and potholes. This led us to Middlebury, VT which has a bike shop! Timing is everything. On the approach to town, it really started raining. Pouring would be a suitable description. We found a porch of a closed business and came up with a plan. We eventually found the shop. It was too crowded to bring my bike in with the gear on it so I unloaded it and brought my ride in to show them my problem. A few minutes later the mechanic had me wheel it around back, in the heavy rain, where the work area was.
15 - 20 minutes later, I had the proper bolt, newly adjusted brakes and fresh oil on my chain. I was thrilled. Thrilled! Not only did he drop everything to help me get back on the road, he wouldn't accept any payment. The Bike Center is a great shop that really helped this tourist in a bind. God bless'em.
We headed back out in the rain towards NY. Riding was just little rolling hills all the way to the ferry. About 15 miles outside of town, the rain stopped, but the roads were still wet (slippery). I was happy to see dry spots begin to appear. We made it to the ferry bound for Ticonderoga, NY. ($2) since the next campground was another 15 miles, we opted for a motel room. A got place to dry out and clean up. Cheers.
Total mileage: 69.7 miles. @210 since Bar Harbor on the 10th.
My gear shifter started acting goofy. DANG! The bolt holding it fell out on the road some place! I pulled over, leaned my bike against a pole and walked back to see if I could find it. No luck. Fortunately, in my bag of tricks, I had a bolt that would temporarily do the job. I had no sooner put it back together when Gay and Fred showed up. They knew something was amiss since they couldn't see me and waited. I tried calling Gay but no reception. ( His phone was off anyway.) My shifter was working, but barely. Now onto the climb.
Trucks had been waived off traveling this "scenic " route. We soon found out why. The last 4 miles were Vermont's way of having her way with me, one more time. The next 2 miles were predictably strenuous. 9 to 10% grade or so. Man I am huffing and puffing away, but chugging along. Then, the road ratcheted up the gradient a couple of notches. I started maxing out my feeble aerobic resources. I simply couldn't breathe enough to supply the O2 needed to do the work. So I tried other tricks. Working on my spin. Keep my concentration up. Try to remember all the words to the song rolling around in my head. Nada. Just stop the damn bike and catch your breath and drink something. The 1/2 pint Bushmills (what's left) I had dragged across 3 states was tempting. ;) I did have some extra water that I decided I didn't need so I watered the plant nearby. One pound less to weigh me down. I made 1 or 2 more brief rest stops on the way up. When I finally reached the pass, Fred was standing by a sign on the other side of the road indicating a 12% grade for the next 2 miles. That explains it. The good news is that was our last big climb in Vermont!
The downhill was swift and exciting. I checked my speed unless I could see the road in front of me. I love disc brakes. Curves at speed with a heavy load are a bit disconcerting for me. Especially with so many ruts and potholes. This led us to Middlebury, VT which has a bike shop! Timing is everything. On the approach to town, it really started raining. Pouring would be a suitable description. We found a porch of a closed business and came up with a plan. We eventually found the shop. It was too crowded to bring my bike in with the gear on it so I unloaded it and brought my ride in to show them my problem. A few minutes later the mechanic had me wheel it around back, in the heavy rain, where the work area was.
15 - 20 minutes later, I had the proper bolt, newly adjusted brakes and fresh oil on my chain. I was thrilled. Thrilled! Not only did he drop everything to help me get back on the road, he wouldn't accept any payment. The Bike Center is a great shop that really helped this tourist in a bind. God bless'em.
We headed back out in the rain towards NY. Riding was just little rolling hills all the way to the ferry. About 15 miles outside of town, the rain stopped, but the roads were still wet (slippery). I was happy to see dry spots begin to appear. We made it to the ferry bound for Ticonderoga, NY. ($2) since the next campground was another 15 miles, we opted for a motel room. A got place to dry out and clean up. Cheers.
Total mileage: 69.7 miles. @210 since Bar Harbor on the 10th.
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