tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20844854764198349482024-02-07T07:01:35.267-05:00Cycling the US coast to coast!The 12 months leading up to the journey of a lifetime cycling across the USA. Cycling coast to coast! The TransAmerica was inaugurated during the 1976 “Bikecentennial,” a bicycle-based celebration of America’s 200th Independence Day. The route runs 4,262 miles from Virginia’s Atlantic coast, through the heartland of the USA, over the Rockies, and terminates at the Pacific in Oregon. Riding a Trek 520 bike. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-76565799067531642932013-07-30T11:39:00.001-04:002013-08-01T15:09:27.462-04:00Day 74 to day 77, the finish line!<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Day 74 Eugene to Rickreall started really early so that I could catch up with Sonia on Skype, and was checked out and in the saddle by 8.30. Heading out of the city on relatively quiet roads, passing wheat fields, through the towns of Coburg and Harrisburg, getting a large omlette (4 eggs or more?) in a cafe at the latter. Constant headwinds from the north and a few scary trucks transporting hay on the roads for the rest of the day. Blew through Corvalis before getting dinner (burger) in Monmouth 5 miles south of my campsite at the county fairground in Rickreall. $10 for a pitch (I was the only camper) and arriving at 5.30 gave me time to relax. Winds were exhausting and I still covered 70 miles - good thing I had a rest day yesterday. </div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Day 75 Rickreall to Cape Lookout started with a disappointing breakfast of burritos at the local gas station, although I did have a good chat with Mark from Intel, a local guy waiting for a friend to arrive, who asked me a lot of questions about the trip. An intimidating start along highway 20 which initially looks like a motorway and was full of traffic heading to the Oregon coast. Even worse though was that now I was heading west the winds had shifted appropriately straight into my face. Pushing on I stopped in Grand Ronde for a sandwich for lunch and then kept heading west. I finally got my first view of the Pacific at a Willamette viewpoint. I took some time to take in the view (and the sense of achievement) before taking some pics and pushing to the town of Pacific City for dinner. The coast line here had a great looking busy beach overlooking Cape Kiwiana but I decided to skip the camp sites here and head to the hiker/biker sites at Camp Lookout, a further 16 miles. He Oregon coast is pretty hilly and there was a steep pinch to get over but the camp site was worth it. Possibly the best site of the whole trip, nestled in deep forest 20 meters from the beach (and only $5). Got in at 7.30 so was ready to sleep with the sound of waves crashing in the background. 66 miles today. </div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Day 76 Cape Lookout to Nehalem Bay</div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">A mixture of the punishing headwinds and a cold misty morning meant that I didn't wake up until 9.30. A full 12 hours of sleep. Taking my time I only got on the road at 11. I wanted to take a shorter day today to hit the hiker/biker spot in Nehalem Bay state park, a mere 40ish miles north. More hills to climb which means you get sweaty on the way up and then the cold winds on the downhill make you freeze! I travelled 6 miles to Netarts where I stopped in the Schooner restaurant for an hour and a half eating, drinking endless coffee and planning accommodation in Portland for after the ride. I eventually roused myself to climb the next hill along a road that was closed to traffic along the scenic 3 capes route. This was fun, road was cracked in places and full of leaf litter due to no traffic for past 8 months. A peaceful hour circling the bay before getting back onto a busy highway through Tillamook and all the way to Nehalem Bay. Passed through some cute coastal towns teaming with weekend tourists but didn't stop. Lots of views of the Oregon coastline, lots of large stone columns sticking out of the water all along the route. Into the park around 6.30 where there were a number of other cyclists riding the coast. Was surprised to meet Jersey Tim again - wasn't expecting to see him again after Sisters. Was good to catch up before turning in for the night. </div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Day 77 Nehalem Bay to Astoria!</div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">So now I am less than 50 miles to the finish line. It's a strange feeling to know this in advance as I left camp. It was a cold morning so after leaving at 8.30 I grabbed a coffee in Manzanita to prepare me for the last bout of hills and headwinds. Back onto highway 101 which was busy still even for a Monday morning, lots of large logging trucks to avoid early on with narrow shoulders. I had another coffee break and a delicious cinnamon roll in Cannon Beach and then continued on the highway until taking a short break on the promenade at Seaside. I took a route around the most busy pedestrian heavy section to get onto the Lewis and Clark Road, a winding country road finally off the highway. I got slightly off course but was shortly on the final bridge with Astoria on the other side. I got to the city sign at 3.30 and stopped to take some pics for proof then pushed the last couple of miles around the town to get to the official end point on the maps, the Columbia Maritime Museum! Once there I stopped for a while to take in the achievement. There wasn't an easy spot to take the bike into the pacific but it didn't matter, symbolically I had completed the ride. I had my picture taken next to the museum by a passing Canadian tourist, posing at the finishing line of the Trans Am!</div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">So that was it. An end to an amazing trip! I checked myself into the Norblad hotel for a couple of nights rest. I got given a free beer for my efforts at the Fort George brew pub where I also bumped into Jeff and Barb, two riders I had met back on the Virginia/Kentucky state line. It was great to catch up with them and talk about finishing the ride. Its a strange feeling, no pressure to have to wake early, to ride 60-80miles, not need to eat 5000 calories a day. Now its time for me to book a bus to Portland ($23) and then take a week to relax and reajust to normal life again. And also to start planning my next holiday :D</div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWrKZ1b7vhBiWJt3e0FarEPc9Jj_-2u8rB0lXaAZuqtg3muVxUHTQrW3B4PQ7K5EnbGUv7Q86VEfnGydNuteDK9IyhskxXI5ZIDMGzfG6easeOCF23EtFChI93h5MN5YA0LmvGHJV8F4/s640/blogger-image-1725645404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWrKZ1b7vhBiWJt3e0FarEPc9Jj_-2u8rB0lXaAZuqtg3muVxUHTQrW3B4PQ7K5EnbGUv7Q86VEfnGydNuteDK9IyhskxXI5ZIDMGzfG6easeOCF23EtFChI93h5MN5YA0LmvGHJV8F4/s640/blogger-image-1725645404.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJgcveNc8FWEqbfoTAt_s1LJrLcfDyKlAtV9odnQjArw8pET5jZv1ZolU4UP-LS26TyzJhuaaYgiK2YKd3-CZjuXvbKNFj-2hGzet8F2eIJoMyL7acfyveAy_O3mpqmMP5Szha2wRFKk/s640/blogger-image--673112413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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I woke up at 7 so that I could get into the grocery store shortly after it opened, buy supplies to get me over Ocohoco Pass and then on the road before the heat hits. $20 later and having eaten cold tinned beef stew in flour tortillas (gross) I was fueled up. The pass was long, sweaty and hot but good to do in the first 20 miles of the day. Summited at 10am followed by a long and relatively flat stretch to Prineville. I stopped at Starbucks on the edge of town where Tim and Norah were also resting, ended up staying here 2 hours as the temperature climbed above 100F. Finally decided to get going, onto a busy highway to Redmond and then decided to keep going to the town of Sisters to set up for tomorrows high pass. Along the way a few snow capped mountains (the Sisters) could be seen from the road. Headwinds bothered me on the way but I finally entered the city park campground at 8.30. <div><br><div>Day 72 Sisters to Eugene. I wanted a nice breakfast so headed for a cafe at 7. On the road at 8.15. Sisters looks to be a cool tourist town but I didn't have much time to investigate too much. McKenzie Pass was today's big challenge with the reward being a rest day in Eugene, a big college town. The temperature stayed cool and the grade was challenging but not exhausting. Interesting views of deep green forest, ancient lava flows and panoramics of jagged mountains as I cleared the top and ascended the lookout station on foot. The downhill was full of hairpins and was fast - lasting over 11 miles, a lot of fun. The rest of the day rode along the main highway to Eugene, the last section with Norah, the first time we had actually ridden alongside each other for a good few weeks. We camped at Armitage Park on the outskirts and met a young family, Shane and Jen, who gave us a lift to the gas station to get beers. Norah planned to go to Florence tomorrow so we celebrated going our separate ways after 2.5 months on the bikes. </div><div><br></div><div>Day 73 Eugene rest day. It's a 6 mile ride into Eugene from the park. I got into the centre in the early morning and went to the visitors centre for some accommodation advice. I plumped for a motel on Broadway (which apparently is also always 9th St in the west). I had to wait a while for the room to be ready so I headed into Starbucks to sort out admin. After getting my room I spent the day eating (Cozmic and Marche), doing laundry (chore) and going to the movies (Pacific Rim). Whilst I was in the cinema though some scallywag took my fuel belt bag from my bike. Eugene is super biker friendly and now bike related theft is one of their bigger issues. No serious lasting problems but it does mean I will have to keep my camera and phone somewhere else whilst on the bike. Even so, my rest day was enjoyable and definitely needed, I hadn't had one since Pueblo! This also means that I finished map section two, only 1 to go now.</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgf_4bqyYzx3GeLv4RLr_q1Qz0oZ-tk6lNiACg9jjl4vSH15q7dTcdxnYy1eG6hOJs1jaqb0vJ_IXeGrSDGg8I59LxW8hePHrxtweEMes7oi_1PG2P9P-MVOXfT-O_pxIxeC1fFjpx50/s640/blogger-image--938362219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgf_4bqyYzx3GeLv4RLr_q1Qz0oZ-tk6lNiACg9jjl4vSH15q7dTcdxnYy1eG6hOJs1jaqb0vJ_IXeGrSDGg8I59LxW8hePHrxtweEMes7oi_1PG2P9P-MVOXfT-O_pxIxeC1fFjpx50/s640/blogger-image--938362219.jpg"></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindP-kLRFlykqaE7zoQ01PHCBApAxo42g7hYpek67xLMBvKuVw4MP8PlYg0vHdPLFJagn7NqXuq4yWmui46qdLYOtRCH69evZ2S5Adk3KTEa7l1MKZgQP4UGiV8Fh3zR6pvcIsxR1tz7g/s640/blogger-image--394343083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><br></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; clear: both; "><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-70380011770044769062013-07-20T21:45:00.001-04:002013-07-23T18:01:27.460-04:00Day 67 to 70, entering the final state and serious elevation gain!Day 67 Council, into Oregon and Halfway. Mr Mower woke me up at 6.30 which was perfect so that I could make it to the roadworks early before traffic had a chance to build up. On the road at 7.30, up a quick climb and down the other side before hitting the 10 miles of roadworks outside Cambridge. I had to ride in a pilot car for the first mile through past the asphalt layers then rode the remaining 9 on mud and gravel which was pretty bumpy! A quick coffee and pastry and then the next couple of hours climbing through the heat into the Hells Canyon area where the temperature was above 100F. At least the roads were quiet and there was a huge downhill to Brownlee dam and the state border. Now into Oregon! I took a long break at Oxbow as I was at risk of dehydration and then pushed to the RV park in the town of Halfway, pausing only to repair a rear puncture (number 2 of trip). I must have looked beat as a couple at the park brought me cold drinks and snacks!<div><br><div>Day 68 Halfway to Baker City</div><div>Baker City marked the end of map 3 so I got up early to make a start (and try to avoid the mid afternoon heat) but started with breaking the key to the restroom in a freak accident. Luckily the RV owners let me off. Lots more climbing today in searing heat - a hall mark of Eastern Oregon, followed by a blisteringly fast downhill into Richland where I ate a large omelette at the Shorthorn cafe. An 18 mile stretch of uphill with no shade to Baker city was tough. I wanted to see the Oregon Trail Visitor Centre but saw it was on top of another hill so decided to get into Baker and skip it. Into town at 2pm and set up in the RV park on the edge of town. Laundry and swimming pool before going into town to see what was happening for the annual Miners Jubilee. Buffalo burger at the fair, Deshuttes beer and a trip to the grocery store before heading back to camp. </div><div><br></div><div>Day 69 Baker City to Prairie City.</div><div>The new map (number two) has an intimidating elevation profile. The first 60 miles outside of Baker have three immediate passes with pretty significant grade. I was also to find that the heat still hits 100F! A habitual cycle tourist in camp called David made me coffee in the morning and then I was off on the road at 7.45. Over Sumpter pass at 10ish, Tipton pass around 1.30 and then a long break at the shop at Austin Junction to cool down and rehydrate. Climbed Dixie pass at 3.30 and then down into the cute town of Prairie City to the RV park there. Te site is very picturesque, very quiet and also next to the old train station that is now a cool museum - a relaxing spot. Jumped into the stream to cool down and then to the historic Oxbow Bar on the main street for a massive meal. Carb overload and thoroughly tired so I retired to sleep at 7pm. </div><div><br></div><div>Day 70 Prarie City to Mitchell</div><div>I caught up my sleep debt with 12 hours of kip, waking up at 7. After a few days of super early starts I took it easy starting with coffee at the Java Jungle (where if I choose to I could also get a tan to even out my nice bike lines). My caffeine rush got me going at 9.15 and it was a nice mild downward slope to Mt Vernon where I got a quick snack at the gas station before continuing to Dayville. Total 40 miles so far but it was only 2.30 after eating a piece of cream pie. I decided to push the second 40 miles to Mitchell but this was through the heat of the day. The road winds through Picture Gorge and uphill for 30 miles over Mitchell hill. A very tough challenge and wasn't helped by flat tire number 3, seven miles out of Dayville, a piece of wire had worked its way through the rear. Water levels were a concern as there was nowhere to refill (John Day Fossil Bed Visitor Centre is closed on Mondays) so I had to conserve what I had till I got to Mitchell. Finally over Keynes Pass and into town around 7.30pm. Free camping in the park with water taps so I could drink a couple of liters. Unfortunately all the shops in town (2 of them) closed at 7 so I had a fabulous dinner of peanut butter straight from the jar. 5 tablespoons and I had my daily allowance of fat. Sleep at 9. A quick toilet break in the middle of the night and a view of a bright full moon and a big deer less that 10 meters from the tents!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRbO5kLarh1Xi4REYhMEvMMLlX78LYHepUOC2azVtFIdDQXzx1JRIX4LK_KVSq-3BTTsfrulq1cIam3tAy3UE0p-SjF1GdqjmMmyGBlFoYeysGd26I1Z8O-j6HPthJJ6XRW2FxKbHA0s/s640/blogger-image-1870276749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRbO5kLarh1Xi4REYhMEvMMLlX78LYHepUOC2azVtFIdDQXzx1JRIX4LK_KVSq-3BTTsfrulq1cIam3tAy3UE0p-SjF1GdqjmMmyGBlFoYeysGd26I1Z8O-j6HPthJJ6XRW2FxKbHA0s/s640/blogger-image-1870276749.jpg"></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gj_Mcvval4gvTqBLuuq5iKa7QGbGwSUs173pBPAFTNs29Mu8-ZryDCIYW6sy-oifgNsUUOW9k9FGCHE-bW8v7VGQCt1ip7PusZ3vHC9w55q5lqJpajujaRdw0t2jgWpkx1sSS8oGZnE/s640/blogger-image-1698564646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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I was keen to get the 60 miles to town early so was on the road by 7 and only stopped quickly for a coffee outside Hamilton before stopping again for another at Lolo. It was mostly bike lane but I felt it was more effort than riding on the road. After chatting to interesting characters at the gas station and also to a Kiwi cyclist I pushed onto Missoula on the shoulder of the busy highway. A marathon had just finished so it was easy enough for me to get a room at the Days Inn (free upgrade to king size bed) around 1pm which left me time to meet Norah and go for a few beers at the Tamarack Brew Pub and for food at the Old Post. Both were excellent and set me up nicely for a relaxed evening of laundry, grocery shopping and Netflix. Missoula really does have a nice atmosphere, lots of good coffee shops and bars. I wish I'd had more time to visit the Big Sky Brewery outside town - next time!</div><div><br></div><div>Day 63 Missoula to Idaho (Powells campground). Nights sleep was interrupted by drunk middle aged bikers. Otherwise not too bad :) First stop today was the Adventure Cycling Headquarters where Julie gave me and Tim a full tour of the building and then Beth weighed my bike (90lbs!!). A really great place with some cool memorabilia adorning the walls including bicycles used on the first Trans Am in '76. After spending a couple of hours hanging about it was time to head out and over the state line. Back along the highway to Lolo and then along highway 12. Narrow shoulders but relatively light traffic. Unfortunately the surface was quite bumpy and there were headwinds so it was tough getting to Lolo Hot Springs. Even so, I was determined to get up and over the pass. A long, sweaty and exhausting job! The descent into Idaho though was worth the effort - a deep valley with enormous pine trees was on the other side of the mountain. The soft evening sunlight really made the last few miles memorable. I stopped with Time at Powell's campground where we camped behind the store for free ($5 for showers). </div><div><br></div><div>Day 64 Powell to Harpster. This included a 66 mile section through the Clearwater national forest without services so I started at 6.40 and carrying extra food and water. Tim had started earlier so i could take my time today. The road follows the Lochsa river along the valley so it was a spectacular ride. I stopped to make sandwiches on a bridge at Eagle mountain pass as well as stopping at an old historical ranger station on the route. I eventually hit Lowell around midday and could order some cooked food from the cafe there. I pushed on to Kooskia and then to Harpster where I stayed at the RV park ($6). A total of 102.5 miles (mostly downhill) so I was pooped. I accidentally left my credit card in the shop so have to wait for it to reopen tomorrow to get it back. </div><div><br></div><div>Day 65 Harpster to Riggins</div><div>I also temporarily mislaid the toilet key this morning so it was touch and go till the shop reopened. I also got my card back so both morning crises averted. On the road at 7.30 and riding solo again today. First 11 miles were on a steep grade with heavy truck traffic. It took me 2 hours to reach Grangeville where I promptly sat down for a big (omelette) breakfast at Oscars (were a big dead stuffed bear is posed on the wall). Another big climb on the way to White Bird but the summit has fantastic views of the valley. The downhill is on old highway 95 and had no traffic. The downhill was very twisty, fast and a lot of fun (10 miles long). Soup and a brownie at the bottom and then onto Riggins through the arid looking Salmon river canyon. Back on Highway 95 proper but there were some shoulders and traffic was moderate. Another RV park ($15) and a swim in the river (very refreshing!) and then to sleep. Riggins looks to be a good place to go white water rafting/canoeing - another place I'd like to come back to if I get the chance. 61.5 miles today. </div><div><br></div><div>Day 66 Riggins to Council. On the road at 8.20 but felt slow getting to Pollock. A coffee and a snickers bar seemed to get me going up the uphill grades. Lots of logging trucks and also trucks carrying other trucks (?!) so the road wasn't that pleasant. More relatively easy climbing into the town of New Meadow where a couple of east bounders, Shawn and Paul, stopped to chat at the coffee shop. They warned me about some upcoming roadworks between Council and Cambridge and that the Weiss river trail is tough going on road bikes. I said goodbye and then I was on my way. Also just near the town I passed a sign stating that i was half way between the equator and the North Pole - strange place to have it! Anyway, I only got a couple of miles out then had to return because I'd left my water bottles behind! Not a bad detour but a little annoying. I needed those bottles though as the temperatures were close to 100F on the last 26 miles to Council. I got in around 3pm but it was so hot I decided to stay. The free camping in the city park is a good option and is close to shops and the library (where I filled out my upcoming Australian holiday visa app). Also had an interesting chat with Misty the local yoga teacher about indigenous people in South Africa. Interesting place Idaho!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4q9wGp-tzsDdfkviI9sRZiVmc-QX4I9DsRTyleM3J9NOjRfE-OKXxaOW5rSq5DTaXEPoQOZa0gXAtKrLaicdmNOID5ifeo_jpWGjDXs4I6sk_LusLlgJ-pxyU1gr8tvezw4OOzbu5PY/s640/blogger-image-277837065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4q9wGp-tzsDdfkviI9sRZiVmc-QX4I9DsRTyleM3J9NOjRfE-OKXxaOW5rSq5DTaXEPoQOZa0gXAtKrLaicdmNOID5ifeo_jpWGjDXs4I6sk_LusLlgJ-pxyU1gr8tvezw4OOzbu5PY/s640/blogger-image-277837065.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuSyZe-ca74q8LH_jET5wxGQpfrPF6fT6LN8Y4dbSmBTOQkhyOId2B-PdbeTiHuCZSONKMKUAT6s6tgOpkRo9IT6_CnDje1AV9oReVPsW5pzr7AL_kKtyCGiZBsEFqgHjlLAbz61jibM/s640/blogger-image--361176969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuSyZe-ca74q8LH_jET5wxGQpfrPF6fT6LN8Y4dbSmBTOQkhyOId2B-PdbeTiHuCZSONKMKUAT6s6tgOpkRo9IT6_CnDje1AV9oReVPsW5pzr7AL_kKtyCGiZBsEFqgHjlLAbz61jibM/s640/blogger-image--361176969.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3P_q8PpOUS-qok-E8ma0wrh3E70uT6JFzEc28ZettU0DZNNB9LRM9WlCM4Iv6ztB9efvnM8xeas7dvEMERkVvqTyKiM1NuCFaPnwNQIrKeZdjTJgTNl0r3qW7QxCRFnY_Pl0YK8Wlh-4/s640/blogger-image--1740518177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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I felt super relaxed as I woke at 7.30. Both Mel and Norah left for coffee so I got straight on the road, I wanted to see the famous Old Faithful geyser. First there were two big climbs to cross the divide twice before that point. As I was out early traffic was light and the park was stunning in the early morning. Both climbs were steady with a great downhill spin between them descending to the pine forest valley. <br />
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I stopped at a picnic site for a break and had it to myself before pushing towards the geysers. I got there just in time to see Old Faithful erupt which was pretty cool. In the visitor center I spent some time learning about the volcanic activity beneath the park that creates the huge number of geysers and hot springs in this area. I walked around looking at the other geysers and lakes nearby - the micro bacteria that fed off the heated water create vivid colors - the most spectacular being the Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest heated pool in the park. <br />
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I kept cycling alongside the Firehole river, spotting wild deer, then going for a swim in the 'cascades of the Firehole', a swimming hole at a relatively calm section of the river. After all of this I was totally beat and not quite ready to leave this amazing park so I went to the nearby camp at Madison and got a pitch for the hiker/biker price ($6.80) and had an early night. <br />
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Day 58 Madison to Ennis. So it was time to keep pushing into Montana. I left camp at 6.45 to get ahead of traffic and any bad weather. 14 miles to get out of the park to the tourist town of West Yellowstone. Met a Scot and an English lad on the way out and was good to trade stories. Also saw another large group of either deer or antelope grazing by the steaming river. Quick picture opportunities at the state sign posts and then breakfast at Buffalo Bills where I asked a French family to get a pic with me wearing a cowboy hat (we are in the Wild West!). <br />
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Montana looks similar to Yellowstone at first with pines. Rounded a huge lake nestled in a valley surrounded by tall hills. Then through an interesting area that experienced a large earthquake in 1959. Really flat or slightly downhill with a good tailwind all day meant that I could blitz along the straight roads all the way to Ennis by 2pm (86 miles). It's a cool town, mostly restored from how it looked back in the gold rush days. Now people flock here for fishing in the Madisson river. I checked into the RV park with two other cyclists (kiwi David and Michigan Ed)pitched my tent, did laundry and then went to the local saloon to try some local beers (Moose Drool and Pigs Ass) before heading back to camp for bed time. <br />
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Day 59 Ennis to Dillon. Just past Ennis is a long steep climb before the old gold rush towns of Virginia city and Nevada city. I started early but it still took over 2 hours to travel the 12 miles or so to the crest of the pass. Great views behind me of the lush grass pastureland valley. A fun and rapid descent to the towns on the other side was my reward for climbing. I took some pics of the old Western buildings and gold mining equipment but nearly everywhere was closed at the time. I did get breakfast at the star bakery in Nevada city which was excellent (sundries tomato and spinach omelette!). <br />
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The wind started to pick up but luckily for me it was downhill to the Town of Twin Bridges. By then the headwinds were gusting heavily so I took shelter in the overnight bike facility there and bumped into Tim from NJ. Chatted with him a while then decided to push the last 24 miles to Dillon. This was extremely tough with heavy headwind, no shoulder, heavy truck traffic and some hills. 3 and a half hours later I rolled into Dillon exhausted. I saw Norah who was camping behind a church in town so I pitched up there. Felling a bit better after a rest we went to see superman at the cinema and I had an expensive shower at the Exxon gas station ($10). Time to sleep - today's 70 miles were tough. <br />
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Day 60 Dillon to Wisdom. Norah had left early so I took my time to pack up. The nights sleep had been pretty poor. The church bell rang on the hour and also at half past the hour throughout the night! It was free though so you certainly get what you pay for. The elevation profile showed two large passes to climb today with an overall steady elevation gain. Badger pass was first, rising over 1500 ft from Dillon, taking a couple of hours but was not overly difficult. It opened up into a pretty dry looking valley with some ranches where I took a snack and water break. Then the second climb started alongside a gusting headwind which made me stop more than once to catch my breath. Finally over Big Hole Pass (elevation 7360ft), I stopped at a Lewis and Clark historical info point (there are lots of these throughout the state) for another rest and chatted to a nice couple of tourists (kiwi and scot). Then I battled the headwind downhill to Jackson where I stopped for a burger and watched a Dudley Moore film on TV ('Arthur' - it was awful). <br />
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Miraculously the winds had shifted to a tailwind and it only took just over an hour to travel the final 18 miles to Wisdom where cyclists can camp in the (mosquito infested, cow surrounded) town park. Pitched my tent inside a hut to keep away from the insects. NJ Tim arrived later on so we chatted a while before heading to sleep. <br />
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Day 61 Wisdom to Darby. Today has the final climb on this section of the map over Chief Joseph Pass (7241ft). I got on the road just after 9 (it was a pretty cold morning) and stopped after an hour at the Big Hole Historical Battlefield. Here I learnt how the American army attacked an Indian village unawares in the early morning back in the late 1800's. I met a couple of German lads cycling and we climbed the pass together. The valley was another pretty pine forest with creeks with clear water. The downhill was great fun. It was fast and winding on a good road and lasted about 7 miles before flattening out towards the town of Sula. I stopped here for lunch, then bumped into Tim again. He had taken the alternative gravel road route around the pass and had a blow out. We rode on to Darby where I checked into the Bitterroot Hide-A-Way RV park. I'm the only camper so pitched my tent near the showers. There wasn't one in Wisdom so taking one here was heavenly! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtlwSZ7pcAbOs5owhgr0aIfH7zZ6j0RAwQNIC8v7lCOoCVv0q7Z5uHicesi8S5rnrk4Zk6jascaQ2-62PmPWdBuRjNuPj00OK3Bc2m_ms5UlfIhxbtImW-S6fpbgAzeCcQo_I0IYzm7Q/s640/blogger-image--219059411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtlwSZ7pcAbOs5owhgr0aIfH7zZ6j0RAwQNIC8v7lCOoCVv0q7Z5uHicesi8S5rnrk4Zk6jascaQ2-62PmPWdBuRjNuPj00OK3Bc2m_ms5UlfIhxbtImW-S6fpbgAzeCcQo_I0IYzm7Q/s640/blogger-image--219059411.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjNq-z2S6iimicr5MIO1-XPyIpjkcDFtNNhxETsdk8qPEiVHgmRtF7cTyCsZmvJ7VQ8LOK9W29pEIVm-mZV3LCDOLUpb1wlFpA5PZqM2vXsY0BZdvUNpd861VoNlUT5IKVlfSIIDXB3M/s640/blogger-image--1580345376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbF-XNVppsnAOUCWBONSZgx8TWTkZO6_pIV_jj56GFbrwqNjgVbWZQVmK-pG_tu7cm4vmUCUXb8VFaZrHQBoIR2N7aLi933ITV4Syz4zxluAQ3k0l7A16TDU8M69jC-ZHq3CAiIFoR7w/s640/blogger-image-154902405.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-91292222868456797302013-07-05T13:12:00.001-04:002013-07-10T16:52:35.984-04:00Day 50 to 56, into Wild West WyomingDay 50 Walden, over state line to Rawlins<br />
Early in the morning I went back to the Moose Creek cafe for oatmeal and scrambled eggs and headed the 28 miles to the state line. Huge expanse of open sage bush and little traffic on the roads. Quick picture taking at the sign after climbing a long hill to get there. Through to the little town of Riverside where I ate a massive burger for lunch before continuing to Saratoga where hunters come all year because the hot springs keep the river from freezing in the harsh winters. I picked up some grocers in the supermarket where there were lots of animal hides and mounted heads in every aisle. Very rugged landscape (and rugged headwind) for barren 20 mile stretch before getting onto the shoulder of the highway. Eventually checking into a motel at 8pm after 109 miles for the day. A good blast to Rawlins and interesting introduction to Wyoming. <br />
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Day 51 Rawlins to Jeffrey City<br />
This morning was relaxed and included skyping with Sonia, taking a shower, watching TV and two trips to the breakfast area. I met Dave and Sam at 10 and we got on the road. I didn't get to see Rawlins but I talked to a number of guys who were refitting the local refinery (and thus push up the prices of the motels in town). We climbed out of town to cross the continental divide and then hit a section at least 10 miles long of roadworks with no shoulder. With July 4th traffic this was a nightmare. When we did get the shoulder back before Lamont, the surface was so bad that we had to bump along slowly. Added to this was a gusting headwind! It took almost 2 hours to cover 15 miles. Extremely frustrating but hot lunch and brownies at the cafe in Lamont brought me back from a total meltdown. Wind died down on the way to Muddy Gap but torrential downpour stopped us in our tracks - I had to get the tent fly sheet out for emergency cover from rain and hail. The mountain storm passed and we finished in Jeffrey City for dinner and I pitched the tent on the grass behind the bar. <br />
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Day 52 Jeffrey City to Lander for July 4th<br />
We rode with Tom who had come off the Great Divide trail and wanted to get to Lander by early afternoon to enjoy the days festivities. Good conditions so we made great time. There was a long 5 mile decent (6% grade) that was glorious, passing red sandstone cliffs with the Rockies in the distance. A couple of sections of roadworks but barely any traffic. Today's riding was much easier than yesterday's. We got to the city park in time for their annual Buffalo BBQ where we ate a lot (they were giving extras away from 2pm) and then we pitched our tents next to other riders and locals who wanted to camp in the park for the day. I showered in the hotel room of a guy called Ben who was following the Pony Express route, and then got talking to some locals camping nearby. Los, Dino and Daryl were Arapaho and Shoshoni Indians who took us to see a small bull ride out of town, then back to the main rodeo and fireworks near the city park. Great people and it was interesting to learn about their history and culture. They explained some of the Indian dances that I saw and what the meanings were as well as an insight into their spirituality. Mixed with the wild western bull riding this was a unique 4th of July!<br />
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Day 53 Lander to Dubois<br />
Slept really well (despite fireworks going off through the night) and went to the local coffee shop till midday. Lander if definitely a cool town with its own set of hipsters and out door types. Was great to relax in a good coffee shop with wifi. Had to get on the road though and pushed on through the Windy River Reservation stopping every so often for food and water. More sage bush scrub land but also some very cool mountain formations. A great and imposing Crowheart Butte mountain, 'Split mountain' and another red sandstone valley provided awesome scenery through the day. Unfortunately a strong headwind for a third of it made it also tiring and really long. At 8pm I pitched my tent against the walls of the Lutheran Church in Dubois. It was too late for me to explore the town although it looked to have some cool old style Wild West shop facades in the town centre. <br />
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Day 54 Dubois to Grand Teton National Park <br />
Just where I camped there was a laundromat that also had showers (50cents a minute) so a group of us spent a couple of hours there before heading out to tackle Togwotee pass at 9658 feet. More headwind in windy Wyoming so this slowed me down. Then about three quarters of the way up another heavy mountain rain and hail storm hit. The terrain has changed from scrubland to pine forest so we took shelter waiting for the rain to ease off. When it did we summited and headed down the other side around 2pm. Long cold down hill in light rain and freezing wind. Good thing I had all my wet weather gear on. The others didn't and decided to stay in a lodge to warm up. I continued on my own and my gamble paid off, the rain stopped and two really cool things happened. First I saw three bears close to the road mating (or fighting) and second I got my first view of the Teton mountain range through the mists on the horizon. These are amazing mountains and as I got closer I kept could not stop taking pictures. I paid for a pitch at the Signal Mountain campsite on the edge of lake Jackson. It had views of the mountains as the sun went down. A quick swim in the lake and some time taking in the wonderful landscape before heading to bed. In bear country now so almost everything goes into the bear boxes!<br />
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Day 55 Teton Spur to Jackson and back to Coulter Bay<br />
The Teton spur is roughly a 50 mile round trip off route to Jackson and back. I had seen the day before that my rear tyre looked worn out. Checking it today revealed that it had no tread in a number of places. I had to get replacements in Jackson. I wanted to do it anyway as the majority of the route takes you on a bike path close to the base of the mountains. This morning had a cloudless sky and no wind. An amazing two hours riding whilst gawping at the mountains above. The bike path winds around scenic Jenny Lake and then blasts to Jackson. A very cool town and got to Hobacks bike shop at 11. Brian and Jacques who worked at the shop and had completed the Trans am a couple of years ago provided company whilst I switched out my tires and cleaned the drive train outside the shop. Also thanks to Terry and his wife who offered brunch but I was knee deep in chain grease and WD40 at the time. I did end up going to a cool cafe (St Genevieve) for brunch and meeting back up with Norah and Georgian Dave. After relaxing in the city park we headed back to the route. We narrowly missed another mid afternoon rainstorm by going to the shops in Moose, then pushed onto Coulter Bay - another campsite on the lake. At dusk the mosquitoes were vicious so I hid in my tent as soon as it was set up. <br />
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Day 56 Coulter Bay, into Yellowstone Park, camping at Grant Village. <br />
I felt relaxed this morning. I think it's because of how beautiful the environment is. I stayed in my sleeping bag till 7.30 and then took two hours to pack and get showered. The ride out of the Tetons was lined with more pine trees, with the lake on our left. Traffic was not too heavy but we were forced to get in the back of a rangers pick up truck to bypass a section of road works. I was getting excited to enter Yellowstone and as we rode through I stopped often to take pictures of the rivers, valleys and lakes. A lot of the road was uphill so some steady climbing to get a sweat up. I had heard that traffic is very bad and dangerous - today seemed no worse than that in Missouri. Hopefully it will remain light. Around 4pm I decided to stop in the Giants Village campsite where bikers can pitch for $6.80 a night. A short day of just under 40 miles. I don't want to rush through Yellowstone though! The afternoon was spent relaxing, quickly seeing high altitude Yellowstone lake (which looked way too cold to dip in) and writing this post. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxRAIUIvymzJAmQPnOnSb7KUSAsqtaFxqSxcBKW54ES2WnbNDOD6vmQ9OxpW7QJEB2mzWHBLpnihKV0GaSw2daswXuwoXJaEvPHQnM4OpwD-J7Xy6m2cs46FIeOAKTfzEhOHn5ORf4aw/s640/blogger-image-908184848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxRAIUIvymzJAmQPnOnSb7KUSAsqtaFxqSxcBKW54ES2WnbNDOD6vmQ9OxpW7QJEB2mzWHBLpnihKV0GaSw2daswXuwoXJaEvPHQnM4OpwD-J7Xy6m2cs46FIeOAKTfzEhOHn5ORf4aw/s640/blogger-image-908184848.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74JWexqqIfrvLRRbMIItxp-zLiqboj9Ka5XqUR4FYnteOJdkv0khtHqW4QRQiY9refiZusA2qNKgmBXvEjjI2z7R8N01aOkYieMt7yqVMttdrx3ZRIIzZ24TGHqiZ7J6ftEcBdnK6vFQ/s640/blogger-image-1754911316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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couple of timesDay 44 was my Pueblo rest day and it was well earn't. Started off with a couple of episodes of NCIS, followed by writing my last blog post (essay), raiding the complimentary breakfast (bagels, cream cheese, coffee and donuts - trying to limit my items though as there isn't enough for everyone), and going for a swim in the pool. I eventually left the motel in the afternoon. Pueblo city centre has some great public arts statues, a cool river walk, some top notch coffee shops and baking 109 degree weather. After walking around with the guys I went back to my room in the afternoon to watch more American crime shows, another swim and some boring laundry duties. My brain and body are much relieved to have the down time though. <br />
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Day 45 Pueblo to Canon City was a great day. In fact all of them have been great, but this day was a taste of how beautiful the Colorado scenery can get. Ben and I cycled out through the leafy city park and western suburbs before getting out onto the main road to Canon City (pronounced Canyon). The arid rock formations and view of the Rockies in the distance left our gobs smacked for the entire route. The first good view of the mountains filled me with excitement as we got closer. The first stretch was extremely hot and I ran out of water before Wetmore and I got dehydrated. There was only a water pump there by the post office (all shops closed) and I had to drink over a liter plus have a nap before I started to feel better. Pushed on after 2 to Florence where I got a good shepherds pie at the cafe and then cookies in the coffee shop where an open mic evening was in full swing. Norah caught us up here and we went the last flat easy 9 miles to Canon to stay in the RV park for $15 a tent (where we met a couple of Dutch cyclists also staying). We bivouacked to save costs but got eaten alive by mozzies!<br />
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Day 46 Canon City to Hartsel starts with insect bites on my face. From now on I will always pitch my tent! Anyway we cycled out of town, at one point next to a guy cycling with his pit bull running alongside, up the first 9.5 miles to a rest stop by the river gorge. This took a couple of hours of steady climbing. Excellent rock formations, deep red with more scrub vegetation on the hills as we climbed out of the valley. I caught up to the Dutch couple on a hill later on with Ben as we headed to the town of Guffey. A great spot with a cool bar at over 8000ft of elevation. Lunch and a couple of beers dragged to a 4 hour rest stop. We eventually decided to go 26 miles further to Hartsel and started in late afternoon. We got our first taste of Rockies rain as a big storm front erupted on the way as the valley open up significantly. We entered, went through and out the other side of some heavy rain and black skies. Hartsel has a pavilion where we could pitch our tents. In the restaurant there we met a group of Great Divide endurance racers. It was great to hear about the race (Banff Canada to Mexico) and their experiences. <br />
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Day 47 Hartsel, Hoosier Pass, Frisco. The pass is the highest point on the trail and I woke up feeling a little anxious about the upcoming climb. The road leading up to it was gentle though and had superb views. The valley was ringed with mountains, some of which were snow capped. A quick stop at the supermarket in Fairplay where I chatted to David, an Englishman who runs a b&b, about the Great Divide race (the winner did it in 15 days!). Onto the pass via the cute town of Alma. Stopped in the medical marijana shop to hear from the owners about how the recent law changes affect them and their business. Then the pass - in the end it wasn't that difficult. The grade was relatively gentle but the traffic was scary and came very close at speed. Pictures at the top and then down the other side. Another short heavy out burst of rain on the downward hairpin lined slope reduced visibility hugely. Dripping wet we stopped in a brewery bar in Breckenridge to dry. After a couple of hours the skies cleared and we pushed to Frisco along quiet and beautiful cycle paths. The Peak One campground on the edge of the reservoir had superb views of the mountains and was an amazing place to pitch. A quick jump (like 15 seconds) into the reservoir to help clean off after a good days riding. <br />
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Day 48 Frisco to Hot Sulphur Springs. Today ranks as one of the most beautiful days riding of my life. The camp ground was even more beautiful at dawn and then bike paths took us right around the reservoir. Clear skies, bright sun light and tree lined bike paths make a great combo. Coffee stop in Silverthorne and then onwards through the river valleys threading through the various mountains. More reservoirs to take in along the way until we hit a headwind (and more scary traffic) for 10 miles to Kremmling. There we caught up with the Georgian boys that I hadn't seen since Kentucky. I rode with them to the town of Hot Sulphur Springs. Again more canyons (the head of the Colorado river is near) with stunning sheer rock faces and a short harsh hail storm as we got into town. Tents were pitched in the city park in a blaze of mosquitoes (these are massive - like half an inch long) and then I went to the springs. $14 entry to soak in 24 pools ranging from 99 - 109 degrees Fahrenheit. Very relaxing (and dehydrating) and then to sleep. <br />
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Day 49 Hot Sulphur Springs to Walden. What a nights sleep?! Train tracks a good 20ft from the tent and the heavy, loud, horn blaring trains ran frequently through the night. Not the best nights sleep. The loudness of the train is almost comical! Anyway good breakfast at the local 'Glory Hole Cafe' in town and then out. Dave broke a spoke 12 miles in and had to repair whilst we pushed on into the hills past Shadow Mountain. More super scenic views, this time with the hills covered in Pine trees. Seems like a lot have died, apparently from a beetle infestation. Even so this area is rugged and beautiful to ride through. We crossed the divide for a second time before Christophe (Swiss chap in a recumbent trike) and I pushed to Walden. Bumpy cracked road jarred my bones and slight headwind exhausted me. The valley changed again, more of a high altitude altiplano that reminded me of Bolivia, but green rather than red. Big dinner in the Moose Creek Cafe as I bonked. Then chocolate and donuts for a super rush to help motivate me to do laundry. City park for camping. 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-e-lW0Wf6M_L4gKncKNlskoN2HL2nQN9SpnV4_PgQ6rjY7jHoX3E1m3OaxsLVt3EPP8K6CcUUc1vz0zqU6hOOrtTqtyZINX82gENguVsIsgj8MexjoDyHOxDJVdqEBAanCxO5C-Aam-Q/s640/blogger-image--358815284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-e-lW0Wf6M_L4gKncKNlskoN2HL2nQN9SpnV4_PgQ6rjY7jHoX3E1m3OaxsLVt3EPP8K6CcUUc1vz0zqU6hOOrtTqtyZINX82gENguVsIsgj8MexjoDyHOxDJVdqEBAanCxO5C-Aam-Q/s640/blogger-image--358815284.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-72173178117787548442013-06-21T14:36:00.001-04:002013-06-26T14:56:12.425-04:00Day 37 to 43, all of Kansas and deep into ColoradoDay 37 Pittsburg to Toronto<br />
Pittsburg has been great and my bike is feeling brand new after its thorough service. The drive train is silky smooth and silent. Toronto was a fair distance, close to 80 miles away but looked to have a good number of camp sites surrounding a lake in a state park. We took a slight detour for a few miles on a gravel road which tested my bikes skinned tires before we got back onto Tarmac. We rode with Christian, a Swede that I had been in contact via the ACA cycle website. We made good time until another patch of gravel and then having to walk our bikes around construction of a bridge. We consoled ourselves to massive ice creams in Chanute where Ben elected to stop for a couple of hours to beat the heat of the day. I myself stopped in Benedict for a snack and stretch break whilst Norah and Christian pushed on. It's fun to ride alone and I made the last 22 miles to Toronto by 7. A surprisingly good brownie in the Italian restaurant and then we pitched our tents in the nearest campsite (which was deserted) and which ended up not costing a dollar. <br />
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Day 38 Toronto to Newton<br />
Christian and Norah kicked on ahead so I took my time. Today's target was a total of 98 miles, including a section 38 miles long with no shops/services. Also today was the first day that cross winds from the south took effect. Gusts between 20 - 30mph can destabilize a bike loaded with panniers so caution is required, especially when large trucks pass within a couple of feet and seriously disturbed airflow. Breakfast in Eureka where a random man with duct tape on his boots gave me a novelty belly button brush (?!). Afterwards a nasty section riding on the narrow shoulder of highway 54. 19 miles of being knocked about by the wind and scary trucks. Happy to be off that. Lunch at Rosalia where Linda made me a burger with meat from her farm (no soy additives apparently) and told me about her grandsons prize winning goats. Stocked up in Cassoday with extra liquid for the barren stretch after chatting to Ken the Ford model A owner who was in nearby Wichita for a convention on the 80 year old vehicles. Last stretch was mentally and physically tough, the wind slowed me down a lot but eventually made it to Newton around 8. Checked into a Best Western on the outskirts of town as a reward for roughing it out and getting to Newton. <br />
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Day 39 Newton to Nickerson <br />
Felt great after a sleeping in a luxurious queen bed and going for a quick swim the night before. I wanted to get to Nickerson today which was the last town before another section with no services. Total of 46.5 miles so should be relatively easy. Started well with a quick gas station stop for coffee and snack bars (bottled Starbucks cappuccino packing 200+ calories). Then 10 miles onto the small town of Buhler were I had a fantastic hummus sandwich with a pot of black tea at the Mustard Seed cafe. This was the first vegetarian sandwich (on good bread) that I have had in weeks. Kansas is proving to me to have a higher standard of food than the previous 4 states with much more fresh produce options available. I signed their guest book and then finished at my destination at 4. Met Ben who had come from Hutchinson and we grabbed dinner in the local Sunshine diner (goulash followed by peanut butter pie and ice cream for me). Met two East bound riders, Thomas and Corey, and we all pitched tents in the city park near the local grain elevator. These structures heat and store the wheat grain that is being harvested all over this part of the state. They are very noisy but luckily it either shut down over night or I drifted to sleep with its hum in the background. <br />
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Day 40 Nickerson to Larned<br />
This was a killer day. One of the hardest. Strong cross winds gusting to 30mph or more again. The first stretch of 58 miles with no services on route was going to be hard going. Coffee and provisions bought at the gas station (after Ben had stopped talking to two local brothers) and off by 7.15. First couple of hours were manageable with low wind and heat. Around 10 both started to climb. We alternated drafting to keep our speed up. A positive was that the roads were pretty empty. We went off route to Seward with 19 miles to go for a water and rest stop around 11.30. We were pretty beat but the local diner welcomed us, fed us and refilled our bottles. It also had wifi so we ended up wasting an hour there. We plucked up the motivation to carry on through to Larned and in the face of strong winds we arrived around 3.30. On the way in I passed my first cattle feeding lot, possibly even worse smelling than road kill. Norah had run over a dog earlier in the day and come off her bike breaking her helmet so was already there in Scraps coffee shop. We chilled there for a while recuperating, Ben decided to push on and I retired to the city park to set camp. I wasn't keen to ride further today. Cyclists get in free at the city swimming pool so I went in for a few lengths to loosen up. A great place and good vibe. I set up my tent under the pavilion and talked to a family about the trip (and they offered me ice cream that I didn't refuse). Later on Eric who I'd met in Chester came in and camped at the park too. <br />
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Day 41 Larned to Scott City<br />
I started the day riding with Norah around 6.30 and the winds were behind us so we made great time. The Great Plains are super flat, so a tail wind allows you to really fly even with a heavily loaded touring bike. The first 62 miles to Ness City went in a flash. The only issue was finding food on the way there (it was a Sunday so most places in these small towns were closed). It was 12.30 so we went into the Cactus Club for their lunch buffet. Perfect - massive plate of rice, chicken, pulled pork please. Ness City was actually my original goal for the day but it had taken little time to get here. Norah pushed on whilst I digested my lunch for another 30 mins. Tail wind all the way so I kept going, through Dighton at 4 (where I passed Paatvi a Finnish west bounder), eventually to Scott City at 6.30 where I called it quits (still 119.5 miles travelled). I checked out the city park and then an RV site before deciding to stay at the local Athletics club. Bill let me in and for $12 I could sleep in the office where the trophies for local kids are kept next to a TV. Hot showers also available! Spent a while in the laundromat before settling to sleep on the carpet. My can of WD40 leaked onto my sleeping bag liner so I may have slept due to mild solvent inhalation. <br />
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Day 42 Scott City to Sheridan Lake (Colorado)<br />
This day was spent riding completely solo. If I thought I had had hard days they paled in the face of this one. Head winds for half the day wiped me out. Some of it my own fault for getting out late (around 7.30) and then having a leisurely breakfast for an hour in Leoti. By the time I was on the road again at 10.30 the winds were against me. Slow going all the way to the town of Tribune 21.5 miles away (took 2.5 hours) and then to Sheridan Lake (27.5 miles). Frustration got the better of my patience at two points during that section and I physically shouted abuse as I peddled in one of my lower gears punching into the wind. As the land is flat you can see miles into the distance. When it takes an hour to travel 6 miles, that grain elevator is barely getting closer, and your back and knees are straining it can be really tough to keep the willpower to keep going. Around 6 the winds started to subside just as I hit my target. The pastor in the town allows cyclists to sleep in the church. Vonnie and her daughter Victoria showed me around the place which I had to myself. A pizza from the gas station and some other snacks perked me up and I read till 9 to relax my mind and prepare for tomorrow. <br />
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Day 43 Sheridan Lake to Pueblo<br />
The earliest start of the tour today at 5am. I wanted to avoid a day like the one before if possible. Getting out early before any winds picked up and being able to get some good mileage in before lunch seemed the prudent approach. Almost immediately the environment had started to change from agricultural fields to scrub land. The bright azure sky and the barren landscape was beautiful in the early morning. I travelled the 28 miles to the town of Eads before getting a cooked breakfast By 8.30. Slight cross wind but nothing terrible. I carried on and made it to Haswell by 11 to stop at the gas station for more food and water refills. The heat picked up to over 90 and I had 35.5 mile stretch to the next available water source (cafe in Sugar City). Managed to get through without running out of water by 3 and stopped for meatloaf and iced tea. At 4 I decided to keep going, hopefully to Pueblo which was still 55 miles distant, a tough ask before nightfall. The winds were favorable though so I kept going, stopping once for a water refill in a liquor store, getting into Pueblo at sunset. Brutal day, total 135 miles and 15 hours. Knees and back feeling sore. Straight into a motel ($50 a night) and to sleep. Rest day earn't I think after this week! <br />
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The Great Plains have been both a grueling challenge and some amazing long mileage days. Mostly I will remember the good nature of the Kansas people. Especially those that stopped their cars on the road to ask if I was ok (when taking quick snack breaks). A very pleasant state to cycle in - apart from the wind if its against you!<br />
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After going to the Popeye museum I went into the Eagles bar for lunch and a pint of Amber Bock. I ended up talking to Valentino, a local horse rider/hostage negotiator. After he left, ex eagles president Mack came and helped us do lots of shots. In bed by 8.30 (I think) with a few drunken bruises. New rule - no more drinking on rest days (and possibly for rest of trip?)<br />
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Day 30, Chester to Farmington was hot and hungover. Breakfast at the country store in a daze then waited a short while whilst a car crash further down the route was cleaned up. Around 12 we crossed the mighty Mississippi (on a narrow busy bridge) and entered Missouri! Slammed straight into cross and head winds and our first taste of the rolling hills that would become the trademark of the Ozarks. A slow day grinding out the miles in 90 degree heat finished in Farmington. A cool town with a great vibe - a local showed us the way to the swish cycle accommodation by letting us follow her from the city limits. 'Al's Place' was like a nice apartment and allowed us to watch game 1 of the Stanley Cup and do laundry. <br />
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Day 31 Farmington to Ellington started with top coffee and breakfast burrito at the Baukus Kaffee, the first real good coffee shop we've been in since Christiansburg. First half of the day was pretty easy and then the steep grades started. I also had my first puncture just outside the town of Pilot Knob - a kind couple from Oregon kept me company whilst I swapped out the tube. There was also a cool civil war museum in the town that I had a quick browse around. We kept going after a petrol station lunch into Centerville where I got another sandwich. We headed on after a local (meth addict?) on a bench near the diner started shouting at the trees. We stayed in Ellington at the Brawley city park with three guys heading East. The park had a group of bored teenagers talking and revving their 4x4s till late! Bastards. <br />
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Day 32 Ellington to Alley Spring = Ozarks proper! Had what seems to be the delicacy here, biscuits, sausage and gravy for breakfast at Halls Deli. Must be 1000 calories in that concoction and def feels like a stone in your gut. Either way I needed the energy. Took it very slow and steady up the hills. Almost all of them in my lowest gear. They aren't as bad as the Appalachians in terms of difficulty, rather there are many of them so you get worn out. The flip side is that this area is very beautiful especially on the scenic river ways where the rivers are fed by clear spring water. Also we really feel the change in culture now - definitely a mid western vibe. Also the roads have no shoulders and the drivers are impatient - we had one scary moment with a logging truck overtaking on a blind corner at speed. We stopped in the town of Eminence for long lunch and tried to get going around 3 after chatting to 2 other riders, Dana-and Christian. Another big hill and brutal heat meant we gave up after 5 miles. Alley Springs campsite was beautiful though and allowed for me to have a good swim in the Jacks Fork river. <br />
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Day 33 Alley Spring to Hartville started with the realization that at this point I would have to average at least 55 miles a day with no rest days to be able to catch my flight. So we got on the road at 7.15. First hill was brutal! The next 30 were fine except for the trucks hauling horse trailers overtaking again at bad points. We stopped in Houston for lunch were I was asked if I had been on tv talking about riding (which I hadn't) and then I ate a massive plate of pasta. We kicked on with dark clouds that stayed on the horizon the whole afternoon. We got into Hartville after an 80 mile day and I demolished a double cheeseburger and milkshake (which took revenge the next morning) and then we went to pitch tents. We first looked at the city park but it was near a sewage plant so it smelled and didn't have running water. We tried to find a church but ended up at the court house. We hoped to sleep inside but no luck. In the end we had some teenagers messing around near the tents and lots of traffic through the night - not the best nights rest. <br />
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Day 34 Hartville to Ash Grove was another 6.30 start on the road after coffee at the gas station (attendant loves Dr Who) and then riding into light rain which turned into a mega full on thunderstorm 20 miles in. We stopped in Marshfield to warm up and eat breakfast (a 'country bowl' which was all ingredients in a bowl with gravy all over). A great cafe where everyone wanted to make sure we were ok, needed towels and wanted more hot coffee. A good spot to consider the options. We elected to go on to the town of Fair Grove where there is a pavilion and showers for cyclists. As we got there the sun shined and it was up to 85 degrees and super humid. We spent 5 hours there resting and doing hand washing. We decided to get back on the road to Ash Grove as another cyclist (Eric from Michigan) had told us there was better accommodation there. We rode into the twilight over very hilly terrain and arrived at 9.30. The last hour or two we kept an eye on the huge storm clouds and frequent lightning flashes. The storm hit whilst we were deep in sleep. Ben also pepper sprayed the first dog today. The bull terrier wouldn't stop even after I had squirted it with my water bottle. <br />
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Day 35 Ash Grove to Pittsburg (Kansas) started around 8. It hadn't started raining yet as per the forecast so we got on the road. Ben stayed back so Norah and I pushed on. We heard part of route 126 was flooded so we decided to go through Jasper. More rollers but not too bad. Constant rain though so we did get wet through. I've started to wear plastic bags on my feet to keep the rain out - hobo style! We took a long lunch in jasper where there were a bunch of Midwestern farmers eating. We took our time to dry and eat (and for me to write the majority of this post). We waited for Ben and a local guy offered to drive back 10 miles to look for him (but didn't see) so we decided to push to Pittsburg and wait for him there. Ended up that he had heard from an east blunder that the road wasn't flooded and so had beaten us to the town and got a motel room. I ended up camping in the city park, very humid and hot, but free! The scenery has definitely started to change already, large fields of wheat or grass land stretching to the horizon. <br />
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Day 36 is a rest day. Mainly so I can get the trek fully serviced and also new brake blocks, bar tape and chain. I spent the day sweltering in 96 degree heat as I walked to the cinema to watch Star Trek. The afternoon doing laundry and investigating Australian work visas. Relaxing back at the city park before tomorrow - hopefully a big riding day. <br />
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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJWPxGeGT9M-zxk8vNtTYzKNbxzs43e27siQ4Fa2oxV_pHckG6jDE36r1ArggC_G-v0ympDUQ5J6wmoIo9MZwF5x9Ut5eGykOPNy7v2hQiOa_U1qZKZ76AhJRZqc-K3kLeQIPhyphenhyphenT1tDQ/s640/blogger-image-1172573067.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUfiL9npH7pvYd3ur2GT21WuQoDp7wX53qQn6QyInKY08D0u6nrAC1im_yFPK6IN0MuE-AWac35jqZFFFTcnHzlf6wd_cQZB-v6PcWEXO8LsAl8O5Y11j09xXl6lmMdQaA9wPRxGViIo/s640/blogger-image--478702383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUfiL9npH7pvYd3ur2GT21WuQoDp7wX53qQn6QyInKY08D0u6nrAC1im_yFPK6IN0MuE-AWac35jqZFFFTcnHzlf6wd_cQZB-v6PcWEXO8LsAl8O5Y11j09xXl6lmMdQaA9wPRxGViIo/s640/blogger-image--478702383.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-83821245435370931112013-06-11T14:55:00.001-04:002013-06-11T14:55:22.285-04:00Top lessons from Virginia to IllinoisAfter being in the road for 4 weeks here are a few other tips not in my other posts in no particular order...<br />
<br />
1) My least used item so far has been my 35mm lens. I sent it back to Melbourne for just under $50 (was just under a pound in weight). I find that if my camera equipment isn't easy to hand then it's not going to get used. I'm also not using the SLR much, though its nice to have for higher quality pics when I have time off the bike. <br />
2) My point and shoot has been great at capturing pics and video whilst on the bike. I keep it in my little fuel belt pouch on the cross bar so it's always handy. It's wide angle lens makes it very versatile. <br />
3) My handlebar bag has been pretty disappointing. It droops (although I overload it) but mostly the Velcro plastic map holder constantly tears and I've had to duct tap it a lot to keep it together. Even so I think it will keep together all the way to Oregon (I hope)<br />
4) One thing I do wish I had spent money on is a modern tent. My one is pretty old and takes 2 to 3 times longer to pitch/take down than newer tents. It's also a good deal bulkier and heavier. At this point though I'm not going to replace mid ride. <br />
5) Saddle sores come and go but it's worth making adjustments to the saddle to try to find the sweet spot. Chamois butter has been interesting to use but I may be moving away from using it in future. I've also had lower back and knee pain recently which I think was because of having the saddle slightly too high and too far forward. <br />
6) Top purchase has been the iPad mini. Although expensive it has been great for movie making, musical, books, magazines and general web surfing. Much better than looking at a small iPhone screen. <br />
7) T-Mobile cell signal has been atrocious in the mountains. I find it super frustrating to receive a message and then find I've lost signal and can respond! I've seen that AT&T and Sprint customers have had better luck.<br />
8) Road kill stinks and there is A LOT of it on the roads. It smells for like a 50 meter radius. Unfortunate side effect of being closer to nature. <br />
9) Having clothes to wear off the bike can not be overrated. I have a pair of jeans that are heavy but its great to be able to change into them and wear around town without feeling you look too skoady. Also a pair of decent board shorts are also great off the bike. Padded cycling shorts aren't good to wear 24/7!<br />
10) So far everyone we have met on the route have been warm and amazingly friendly and open to cyclists. This is truly a fantastic part of America to visit and get to talk to the local people. Also the other cyclists on the route are very cool and its a joy to bump into them along the way. Time does fly, 2 months and 3000+ miles to go! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKePhVV0YFQCXfT-ZS_O7cKI4SWNF-mB0VR8cIp-aemXU7qi1QNR2j0o6-zNdIKnoFidYmTBloQxbPaPa2oZ9L9HQo8yqViM_GPQgskwXKo9cM56R3VlL0ooNlkQPy5YBRqZWwgnSFfo/s640/blogger-image--1930015021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKePhVV0YFQCXfT-ZS_O7cKI4SWNF-mB0VR8cIp-aemXU7qi1QNR2j0o6-zNdIKnoFidYmTBloQxbPaPa2oZ9L9HQo8yqViM_GPQgskwXKo9cM56R3VlL0ooNlkQPy5YBRqZWwgnSFfo/s640/blogger-image--1930015021.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-3379008289595787992013-06-11T14:54:00.001-04:002013-06-11T14:54:39.233-04:00The gameA fun game we have learnt in Kentucky:<br />
<br />
1) make a ring with your thumb and forefinger<br />
2) try to get someone to look at the circle<br />
3) if they do look at it then you can punch them in the arm<br />
4) don't forget to wipe the punch afterwards or else they can punch you back<br />
<br />
<br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyb5uU9akFmejy0iNqudvnGjPGvNqHbhyH5V-zH1BLeiikP8y3OoNTPfQFmMIQ3nOeEX2lYGKdy3qH86BIRg_Jm_CINDPPyR3_XBRsyf-2-j5vxuMTEDCpJRh_tJc5LZLOWGebENfRrI/s640/blogger-image--629671627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyb5uU9akFmejy0iNqudvnGjPGvNqHbhyH5V-zH1BLeiikP8y3OoNTPfQFmMIQ3nOeEX2lYGKdy3qH86BIRg_Jm_CINDPPyR3_XBRsyf-2-j5vxuMTEDCpJRh_tJc5LZLOWGebENfRrI/s640/blogger-image--629671627.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-84138570426475704202013-06-07T20:26:00.001-04:002013-06-11T15:01:52.645-04:00Day 25 to 29, out of Kentucky and into Southern IllinoisDay 25 Sebree to Marion started quite late. Good wifi is a treasure so I Skype with Sonia in the morning before we left the church around 10am. We rode the 12 miles to the town of Dixon before going into Hills Dairy bar for breakfast (hamburgers and wedges). Lots of old timers in there with the owner who couldn't believe that we cycling to Oregon. Was good joking with them. We wanted to get across the river into Illinois but we were beat by the time we got to Marion. There was cyclist only lodging at the Methodist church so we stayed the night. pastor Wayne was a top bloke and compiles the best cyclist log book (with head shots) as well as having a good sense of humor. An excellent place to stay. Also - there was a log of another rider from Banbury! (A brother of a girl that was in my year at school - Nuts!)<br />
<br />
Day 26 Marion to Eddyville. I nipped to the grocery store early to pick up breakfast (whole pot of hummus). Quick goodbye to Wayne to wish him the best then across the Ohio river on the free ferry to enter Illinois. Was great feeling so we stopped for lunch at a country store on the river front. We also stopped at a bar in Elizabethtown - we hadn't seen any bars in Kentucky so this was a novelty! A couple of beers later we kept on to Eddyville. There were some tough climbs that really took it out of me near the end. The campsite had live cowboy music and hot showers that heed me to unwind - this was a tough day.<br />
<br />
Day 27 Carbondale was where we wanted to get to, possibly even staying for a rest day as our muscles were starting to feel fatigued. We went slow up to Goreville where we stopped for lunch at Delaney's. the owner Pete from NJ was a good chap and gave us free desert. He also regaled us with some stories from his Navy days. After lunch we rode individually up to Carbondale in the rain. It took a while to find a motel and when we did it didn't have hot water = cold showers for us. I splurged on a single room for myself, a whole pizza and an early night. <br />
<br />
Day 28 was planned to be a rest day. However the motel still had boiler problems and the immediate area seemed very dodgy. We went up the road for laundry and watched as a drunk black dude was thrown out of the laundromat by a drunk white dude. This made our minds up, lefs check out and head to Chester. We had a mediocre burger and then rode 4 miles to Murphysbro where a driver told Norah to get off the road. Had more food there at a sweet hometown cafe. The road to Chester was very fast and busy so wasn't the most enjoyable. We stopped in Ava and had some food in a bar - A half cut local called Bart was talking to us all (as long as we were 'no islam') so we headed out sharpish. Once we got onto smaller roads I missed the turn and had to take a detour adding a few hilly miles. Got into Chester at 8pm to the cyclist lodging at the Fellowship of Eagles (not a biker gang). Excellent vibe (was volleyball Monday) and good pizza and beers. A great night cap. <br />
<br />
Chester has been so chilled and nice that all three of us decided to spend the day 29 here. A good breakfast, seeing the Popeye museum in town (the creator was born here) and then time to chill (and write this blog post) in the sun. It's getting hot though, it's in the mid 90's today - getting on for 35 degrees C! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNs8rG94NIPJWvhljSjxhwDE1VwgpU7b5KPDVdgTCgL1m8PDB3O7Fpa5tmkoLbqOTEpa8RG8308Ekukr_BKBnaXKEg9oQ0-8K9BV3KGv1lDGQIvHx3GfmuX4pQB76PhwJNlkLDrO48wKw/s640/blogger-image-2086759067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNs8rG94NIPJWvhljSjxhwDE1VwgpU7b5KPDVdgTCgL1m8PDB3O7Fpa5tmkoLbqOTEpa8RG8308Ekukr_BKBnaXKEg9oQ0-8K9BV3KGv1lDGQIvHx3GfmuX4pQB76PhwJNlkLDrO48wKw/s640/blogger-image-2086759067.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZW8SLU_qJXNETBJUbxerBp_Bs5FH3-VHP4pYKRdQCh-TSheet64kSXuxmbRmVyAY41K2cb1f72KV19AieOd3sf8Ca_zAZCAFQjps7WWRzZ_BASh7Y2tnbpJl14JvWQOta3x5EChdX02Y/s640/blogger-image-1923271443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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We left the church gymnasium nice and dry after escaping the previous nights storms. We cycled a quick couple of miles to Burgin to get a big egg breakfast. We spent a long time digesting out in the sun and posing on a motorcycle statue before kicking onto Bardstown. Overcast weather and gentle rolling hills (read accidental sunburn) ended with us talking to a local business owner called Ricky. He loved Ben as he had an Australian mate and so invited us to sleep in his RV and have a great dinner with his family. An interesting experience talking about cattle, wheat farming, strength of Coors light (6% my arse) and guns. Great hospitality. <br />
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Day 21 Bardstown to Buffalo was a great day that started with us going to the Heaven Hills distillery for a tour. They make some good Bourbon, the best seller being 'Evan Williams'. 10.30 was a little early for bourbon tasting but was still an excellent experience, the highlight was going into the buildings where they store the barrels for a minimum of four years. We started running out of energy at a small town called Buffalo so we stopped at a church to ask if we could camp in their yard. It resulted in us becoming a central attraction at their summer bible camp. Quite intense but was fun to talk to the kids and get to understand what it's like for these kids growing up in rural Kentucky. <br />
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Day 22 Buffalo to Rough Falls. We woke early and David from the church helped us wake up with a few warm McDonalds breakfast sandwiches. We targeted a campsite at Rough Falls state park for the days target. We only moved 100 meters from the church before we bumped into our Georgian mates. Dave's chain had numerous broken links and Ben spent a while repairing what he could before they went off route to find a bike shop. We met up with them later that evening at the camp ground. A quick swim in the warm waters, pizza delivery, a camp fire and beers (and Bourbon) and then sleep in the sleeping bag underneath the night sky. Couldn't have gotten any better (cleaned the drive train on the bike too!)<br />
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Day 23 Rough Falls to Utica started with an omelette breakfast at 'Little Daves', a delightfully sloppy roadside diner that serves massive plates with friendly service. We had a 55 mile target to hit Utica where the volunteer fire department lets cyclists sleep indoors for free. Some hills to start before a long lunch/nap in a town called Whitesville (good name - an Eddyville is coming up too). I rode the last 19 miles alone and it felt great. This was the first time without any other riders immediately around and meant I could truly go my own pace. Utica fire dept was deserted but the hot showers and laundry were put to use. Sleep by 10 on the sofa after watching City Slickers 2 on VHS. <br />
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Day 24 Utica to Sebree (rest day). We weren't feeling like our legs had any power today. We hadn't had a rest day for over a week so we decided to cycle the short distance of 19 miles to Sebree where there is a church that houses cyclists (and has a great reputation for facilities). Good BLT sandwich for lunch at Beech Grove and then last blast to the Baptist church. It's a great spot, lots of space, sofas (that are so much better than a saddle) and fast wifi. Sent home a camera lens via the post office ($45), ate a chicken sandwich at the local dairy bar and then settled into a lazy-boy armchair for Netflix marathon (hiding in the nursery away from old seniors doing Zumba in the basement and teenagers playing religious rock in the chapel). <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-QhQPOfO_2dVUx3yY2E1-s0JiCcchzDC5OanRopdLgHoektt27IkvoAXFg5Yg5GfpoVSJeHdrH3wRSyV1gB0XlRNCW_wcbZrUA9YhzPJQkCxxT_1v_glUUQqDZmnIpkFuKQjdeQ5imI/s640/blogger-image-1431776483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-QhQPOfO_2dVUx3yY2E1-s0JiCcchzDC5OanRopdLgHoektt27IkvoAXFg5Yg5GfpoVSJeHdrH3wRSyV1gB0XlRNCW_wcbZrUA9YhzPJQkCxxT_1v_glUUQqDZmnIpkFuKQjdeQ5imI/s640/blogger-image-1431776483.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOuxnJ3MgGLNSwpG8GYGbXJlq5Bpy52p8_CfVW8Z1gdKqQw287-H5Il47W8fDRp-U0AfRqF6bMZ1GIXlO8oaHhsRAxiQL5dfCABUxzVNETpcMGgaRKICXT7gF1dHXgkZgpAuPIj0lioQ/s640/blogger-image-1314518241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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Bang straight into a steep grade hill that I had to stop twice to catch my breath. Rest of the days past fast through valleys. Two more real tough climbs, one tacked behind retired couple Jeff and Barbara (who utterly smoked us on the ascent) and one after a late lunch. There were a couple of smaller hills before we got to the cyclists only camping in the Baptist church in Hindman. More new cyclists in the basement so we headed to the rafters and I slept in the music cupboard next to a drum kit. <br />
<br />
Day 16 Hindman to Hazard was short as this was going to be a rest day. It started off with coffee inside a pharmacy and then after 10 miles or so we stopped at a beer shop where the owner gave us a taste of his corn liquor! Ted 'Blue' Ribbon's moonshine gave us a kick for the remaining 10 or so miles to Hazard. We didn't want to stay at a motel so we were able to secure accommodation at a church cottage in town. We settled down for the night with some nice warming bourbon after escaping some interesting chat with the local tattoo artist who was recently freed from an 8 year sentence for home invasion. He was a nutter. <br />
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Day 17 Hazard to Buckhorn was another quick day as we had hangovers from the previous night. We picked Buckhorn camp ground as our target (26 miles away). A few climbs again plus a really horrible stretch on highway 15 started the day. Highlights from the rest of it were talking to an elderly couple (Sheila and Willy) who delivered local newspapers, eating our first proper salads of the trip and getting a great campsite. The camp site was peaceful and we had a pretty spot on our own amongst the trees. Just what we needed. <br />
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Day 18 Buckhorn to McKee started excellent with us breaking camp by 8. We travelled 200 meters to the first cafe and then spent 1.5 hours on the Internet so we didn't actually start riding till 9.30 which defeated the object of waking early. Hills were tough going again but not as tough as realizing that we had taken a wrong turn that took us 10 miles off route! This combined with super hot temperatures over 90 degrees really took its toll. We wanted to hit Berea but decided that the motel in McKee would be more achievable. We got to the town and ate a buffet at the local restaurant. Extremely dodgy/gross sludge, but we needed the calories. Luckily no need for Imodium the next day. <br />
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Day 19 McKee to Bryantsville was efficient and fast. We finally actually managed to get on the road early as planned (7.30) and blew 25 miles to Berea before 9.30. The best section was a smooth downhill blast with a stunning scenic view over the valley below. Getting to Berea meant map 2 was completed! We celebrated by heading to an Amish shop for breakfast where we met 3 college students (Dave, Dave and Sam). We rode with these guys the rest of the day but man they were super fast. We kept up with them and were stopped around 6pm by an impending rain storm on the horizon. We saw a Baptist church and called to see if we could pitch our tents in the yard and they let us stay in the gym instead where it was much warmer - bonus. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeU7YihXChdKpxSFYuRMeVgsTv0dVoPf5pySZGE7EVRUynmTPlTXzbpnJEo9I0i1y2XIln0fXimYJ8zwm2v3qsWPwfkmbfM2JKhIzCJVYr6duyJXHEConroIkUcaYaW4WzRMAHVxGbk4/s640/blogger-image-1087178317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeU7YihXChdKpxSFYuRMeVgsTv0dVoPf5pySZGE7EVRUynmTPlTXzbpnJEo9I0i1y2XIln0fXimYJ8zwm2v3qsWPwfkmbfM2JKhIzCJVYr6duyJXHEConroIkUcaYaW4WzRMAHVxGbk4/s640/blogger-image-1087178317.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIn9knZHgCau_RBWt0HoZyqiyYU9KSAlKYt7ivfQsNbjvITNuaD2BEZA4RCcSZNjTqLUEQlynxHl6Ok2ySb3RhktlXEpvEOnwD5XkvYggZZ-0c2tvy873gXMnKM3w25pFenFljh8uZ1g/s640/blogger-image-1630941494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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We woke leisurely and went into downtown Christiansburg (approx 6 shops). The coffee shop had excellent wifi (and paninis) and thats where i wrote most of the last blog entry. We headed to Radford, about 15 miles away after kick out time at our Budget Inn. We heard in Troutville that a 'Doctor Lee' let's cyclists stay at his house for free. We got to Radford at 2pm so went for lunch at the Riverside Grill where we drank 5 pints of Virginian Stout and were pretty pissed. We got to the Lee's around 7 and they were the greatest couple. They let us camp in their yard and use their kitchen and showers. An amazing act of hospitality that I am seeing often on this trip. They even gave us the keys to their car so that we could go to the restaurant (Norah had sobered up by then). Good rest day!<br />
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Day 11 We left Radford with an aim to get to Whytheville where cyclists can pitch tents in the Town Park for free. This was a very windy day and very overcast so spirits were down. An Arby's breakfast did not improve morale. The scenery was great though as the woodland gave way to wider pasture lands. Top old guy and shop owner, Bryson gave us some tips on trapping and selling furs at one of our rest stops (his coffee tasted like mud though). We arrived around 7 and went up to an Italian restaurant that served some mega portions - great as we were starving!<br />
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Damascus was our target for day 12. Super cold start - down to around 4 above freezing. My sleeping bag and tent was not good and keeping the chill out. We got going and had a good mornings ride. We stopped in the afternoon for an hour talking to a group of people running a Church Fundraiser in the small community of Sugar Grove. Good chili dogs! We pushed on through arguably the best scenery so far. Flat, long grass fields ringed by the heavily wooded Blue Ridge mountain range. 8 brutal miles of climbing to the town of Troutdale followed by a few miles more until the greatest downhill road section of my life. Super fast and long (5 miles at least) of steep downhill, twisting down the side of the forest valley to Damascus. Definitely a go pro moment (but I don't have one). Amazing. Damascus is super chill, good wilderness/holiday vibe. Met some Appalaccian Trail hikers. They aren't as scary as the rumors have it (but still a bit weird). Few cold cans of poor Coors Lite/Busch and laundry and then bed. <br />
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Day 13 Damascus to Rosedale started slow. We stayed in Mojoes coffee shop for hours and then finally left at 10.30. I bought a thermal sleeping liner so hopefully that will keep me warmer at night. We want to cover a short distance to more free accommodation 35.5 miles away. We ended up having to go over White Top mountain which was incredibly debilitating. In 3 miles I climbed 1500 feet. Constant switchbacks made sure this took over an hour. Brilliant climb though with dense forest on either side of the road. Plugged some music in and growing up it. The church was also great - the parishioners had left lots of food for spent cyclists like us to cook (in our case Mac and cheese and steamed veg). Getting to sleep was a little creepy after making jokes about stigmata, exorcism etc. my catholic upbringing playing on my subconscious. <br />
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Day 14 Rosedale to Lookout (Kentucky) on Memorial Day. This was a big day, especially after yesterday's climbing. 62 miles to cover, across the state line, to another church in the town of Lookout in Kentucky. Started well with a couple of quick descents and then another long climb up 'big A mountain'. The downhill again was fast with sweeping turns and great vistas of the surrounding mountain ranges. Later in the afternoon we repeated the pattern as we went around the Breaks state park. Three times we had brutal long climbs followed by super fast (40mph at least) downhills. I need to get new break pads soon. We hit the state line and were ecstatic - lots of photos! So pleased to have done the first state. Quick 15 miles to the rest stop where other cyclist are also stopping for the night and sleep before tomorrow's run deeper into Kentucky. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiUIGMjBy0uC9Gv6ZYoQhdwMx4IpGjEDMPuoa4eiY0NhYXBvt0Lwj2kXeBzVE83dHKhm911Tz7OkNLrqiuqdlBAgwYu07Iwc1sixFO1AMQyX9VTYqjNuWD6DZ0A0nWBHpoMmYLVoYGpc/s640/blogger-image-1232369751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiUIGMjBy0uC9Gv6ZYoQhdwMx4IpGjEDMPuoa4eiY0NhYXBvt0Lwj2kXeBzVE83dHKhm911Tz7OkNLrqiuqdlBAgwYu07Iwc1sixFO1AMQyX9VTYqjNuWD6DZ0A0nWBHpoMmYLVoYGpc/s640/blogger-image-1232369751.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmrq7ITBbF8G71fPorqoPKEA2Cg1TtipUdyrQVMvN6CbJXE-bhyphenhyphenfNWwq33wxZsxuhs545JhAAqUUuM8pP_-I6kLZzz3GmfzNcQXrp4Q5ajjy5fG1juW1m81pl5GyzCMDfSnlNa2qz4PA/s640/blogger-image--886754953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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This is a quick catch up post - the main news is that I am Christiansburg, 387.5 miles from Yorktown and am at the end of the first map!! Here's the highlights of the past four days. <br />
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Day 6 started as we cooked up pancakes for breakfast and headed out around 9.30. We cycled past the University of Virginia where graduation ceremonies were kicking off. We also went past the statue of Lewis and Clarke who had started there pioneering exploration from this point. We stopped at a food store for second breakfast (potatoes and grilled chicken for me) and kept going on through mist, peach orchards and horse paddocks. It seems that many shops along the route are very accommodating to route 76 cyclists. At Whitehall we stopped to chat with the worker in a village store and sign their bicycle log book. It was 15 miles further to 'the cookie lady's house' at the top of Afton mountain. The lady (June) had died the previous year and had let cyclists stay at her house for over 30 years. The place was still open for cyclists to stay overnight. Afton mountain was horrific - winding, super steep grade switchbacks for a few miles. Very tough, especially after already riding over 40 miles. Was exhausted when I arrived at the top. Great to be able to lie down! A little later in the evening Ben from Melbourne came in too so three of us stayed the night in the house (which is covered in bike postcards, cuttings, mementos...). <br />
<br />
Day 7 had been the one that I had been anxious about for a while now. The elevation profile suggests a gain (and drop) of over 2000 feet over a total 30 mile stretch. If it wad like Afton mtn then I didn't think I would be able to get over it. Norah and Ben cleaned up their bike chains and then we left at 8.30 to get stuck in. Visibility was very low on the highway stretch to get onto the Blue ridge parkway. Quite hairy with the traffic but once we got onto the parkway the traffic lightened. The fog didn't! Visibility now reduced down to 15 or 20 meters. At least we couldn't see how long the climbs were so we just put our heads down and kept spinning up the hills. In the end the gradient wasn't too bad, and Ben caught us up. All three of us stuck together and ground up the ascents. It took 6 hours to go up and then we had a blistering 3 mile downhill into the town of Vesuvius where the road completely drops most of that elevation gain. My brakes were squealing around tight bends, a fall on that downhill would definitely corn beef your arms and legs to the bone. Food stop at Gerties country store where we wrote our names on the walls and then camped at the Mallard Duck camp/RV site. Brutal day but it was done. <br />
<br />
The next day I was starting to feel fatigued from the past two days of climbing. The first few miles from camp to the historic town of Lexington were peppered with hills that took some effort to get over that morning. On one we met Brandon who had cycled from Boston. All four of us headed into the town for lunch and we took our time, not leaving till 12.40. We had mind blowing scenery of the blue ridge mountains in the background as we rode through the valleys. Norah had a spill outside the town of Buchanan but nothing more serious than grazes and bruises. We kept on to the town of Troutville where they let you camp in the town park and shower at the volunteer fire station, all for free. We had the added bonus of Norah's aunt Mary driving in and buying us dinner. Ben then nipped to a gas station to get some veers to celebrate the last few days of tough riding. <br />
<br />
By day 9 I think we were all felling a little demotivated and slack. We took a long time to break camp (10.40) and then stopped for coffee at subway in Daleville. We didn't really get going until 12.30. The roads were also relatively busy all the way into Christiansburg and pretty hilly. We also had to take shelter twice from sudden thunderstorms in the late afternoon. Both times we ducked into roadside barns that were quite grim and muddy. There was a long and steep incline that sapped my strength as we rode (slowly) into the town at 7.30. We booked into a motel with some shady characters. A quick shower and a ton of Mexican food at the restaurant across the road cheered me up immensely. Over a big glass of beer we looked back on the fact that the first map section is complete and we really are riding across America! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPtmTcfOS68-Sm8JTxul6eyYVOmdal-i1yI_CDZl5360kwK346i1z3OaCkb07J46Rxc04BDlsXcnDXWGRe6TlsTn5rVz0V29VpgftQQ5BT4lV2AbqN39KrEOXeVQvm-N1l4zjjmPpcVc/s640/blogger-image--1854936986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPtmTcfOS68-Sm8JTxul6eyYVOmdal-i1yI_CDZl5360kwK346i1z3OaCkb07J46Rxc04BDlsXcnDXWGRe6TlsTn5rVz0V29VpgftQQ5BT4lV2AbqN39KrEOXeVQvm-N1l4zjjmPpcVc/s640/blogger-image--1854936986.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkkggsw1PfjVTZXM08XTpRM_caZbEfBSQacoPfxkHqCPSJsVrOOASZiTjeOSEwwZVe5FEDUJLuikGVrHBqBcjiRWKmK3TjusrG4JnF3BsTj2H6Yit4Qa7634FNlpX9FlSegGQvJhKrfE/s640/blogger-image--1916935377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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We had left Mechanicsville and rode the last ten miles worrying about the black clouds in front of us. We pulled into an RV site just south of Ashland with seconds to go before the storm started and dumped heavy rain for an hour. We were forced to eat ice cream in the office watching the Weather channel with an 18 year old (half dead cat) called Charlie. Excellent hosts, these American camper types. This day wound up being our longest and hottest so both Norah and I were pretty beat and I turned in quite early. <br />
<br />
We started day 4 early again with clear skies. This day was our first taste of riding on quieter back roads less populated with cars. The previous days have taken us on pretty fast roads, sometimes two lane highways at points. We rode onto a small hamlet called Bumpass after 33 miles. The only food available was fried chicken and burgers which we ate in the searing sun (88 degrees). Took an hour break before leaving for last 15.5 mile section to Mineral, an old mining town. Excellent scenery through a man made lake Anna and then arriving around 2.30 to pitch tents behind the volunteer fire brigade and to go off exploring this two street town (was tempted by the massage but declined). This was a great days riding and the best so far. Oh yes and we almost ran over a really mean looking turtle (so we kicked it off the road for its own good) and there are these little locust type insects that keep flying into my face. <br />
<br />
The night was a disaster though as freight trains ran 100 yards away from the tent. One every 3 hours in the night would go through blowing its fog horn. Mixed with the high humidity equals a frankly crap nights sleep. <br />
<br />
Day 5 started with rain that broke the humidity. I'm prepared with my raincoat and some stupid looking shoe covers so it was actually nice to have a break from the risk of sunstroke. Today continued going along the back roads, past more wheat and corn fields and horse paddocks that we saw the previous days. We had one dog incident today where a dog chased after Norah for a bit. I forgot to mention a couple of dogs came after me on day 3. People seem to leave their dogs free to roam and chase anything on the road! <br />
<br />
Total distance for today was around 45 miles. The valleys today were longer leading to some really fast descents (30-35mph) but there were and equal amount of thigh sapping/heavy grunting power climbs too. Very enjoyable but I am under no illusion how hard the gradients will be when we hit the Appalachians properly in a couple of days. Today ends well in one of Norah's friends houses in Charlottesville so I get a warm shower and a bed to make up for last night (and help digest more southern BBQ pork). <br />
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The flights took a total of 20hours but I had no trouble at LA immigration or in NY. Only a couple of nights in NY to help with jet lag symptoms and then it was time for me to meet up with Norah my riding partner. A final blast down the west side highway towards Penn station and then the LIRR to Babylon. Meeting there we quickly secured the bikes and started driving to Yorktown to stay the night at a cyclist only lodging, hosted by the Grace Episcopalian church. An anticipated 7 hour drive ended up being 11 hours after breaks, rush hours and road works. John, one of the parish members stayed up to just before midnight to let us in though. What a star. Also the logging was a actual house that's used for parish events and guests. Pure luxury after a full day in the car and it was just for us. <br />
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Actual cycling The Trans Am started at 9am. Norah, her fiancé Andy and I went down to the beach to ceremonially dip the wheels in the ocean. We then started cycling a slow pace to help us get used to riding with the weight on the bikes. Yorktown is a historic revolutionary town and looks beautifully preserved. We went onto Jamestown and Williamsburg before finishing for the day. <br />
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Williamsburg was the highlight with a fully reconstructed colonial centre where it appears that if you own one of the properties you are then obliged to wear clothes from that same era. A pain when tourists gawp at you whilst you try to mow the lawn or go to the shops I'm sure. <br />
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Then onwards to the Chickahominy river campsite to stay the night on day 2 after a leisurely 30 miles to kick off the journey. A great spot that has a great riverside view and allowed for some relaxation. A very early night at 9pm listening to the wind rustling the trees before day 3. <br />
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The day started enthusiastically and early with us leaving camp at 7am. Unfortunately this meant that no shops were open for breakfast. We spurned a homely looking gas station after a few miles then didn't see anything for another 25 till we got to Glendale. A healthy lunch of chicken burger and orange juice. Luckily we have now stopped just outside Mechanicsville to get some (hopefully better) food at a Panerra bread in the middle of an outlet centre. We have another 10 miles to get to our campsite - I am a little concerned that today's 60 miles might have been a little too much too soon. Lets see tomorrow when we try to hit the town of Mineral. <br />
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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWrS3KVY1RJB_SiyUJrN-ArF4gv8PMxVdt3KLS5DSL6_l_u7_VKsnZq8AEocvUm-9Icaj1PtwNkifV813QMXxp0mi0CqY-icWmE8h5PSj9HSuFLQwO2C0G9qEM4KqUvcXzowTFZIjr_g/s640/blogger-image--375416798.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj77733QhdDN3Bx0J3lQNIyvCHfdM30pEDZlkkhhf-uxnchyphenhyphen25daNDM8OoOxLgYpF5cMVJlBHVQKe0NmP1YbcIdzmHqMWIhXp3mKTXvsh2ukAUn_y5g2ik_ookqn5HJtI-1nZFZyn0N-M/s640/blogger-image-52109230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj77733QhdDN3Bx0J3lQNIyvCHfdM30pEDZlkkhhf-uxnchyphenhyphen25daNDM8OoOxLgYpF5cMVJlBHVQKe0NmP1YbcIdzmHqMWIhXp3mKTXvsh2ukAUn_y5g2ik_ookqn5HJtI-1nZFZyn0N-M/s640/blogger-image-52109230.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-79710926169709046772013-04-23T20:29:00.003-04:002013-04-23T21:07:03.963-04:00The Trans America kit listSo every blog for cycle touring I have read has a kit list. This has been extremely useful for me. As I am heading to Australia first I need to have my panniers packed and ready to go this week. So, as the Knicks take on the Celtics on TV, here's what I packed so far:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>On the Bike:</b><br />
Fuel Belt cross bar bag<br />
Sunlight handlebar bag<br />
2 Ortleib rear panniers<br />
2 white led front lights<br />
1 red rear light (although I might get another)<br />
Specialized helmet (with another light on top!)<br />
2 insulated 24oz water bottles<br />
A two man tent (a bit old and a bit heavy unfortunately)<br />
Sleeping bag<br />
Roll mat<br />
<br />
<b>Tools:</b><br />
Small bottle of bike lube<br />
chain cable lock<br />
4 spare inner tubes<br />
Tyre levers<br />
Swiss army knife<br />
Hand pump<br />
Head torch<br />
Small roll of duct tape<br />
Bike spanner<br />
A few Allen keys<br />
Pack of self adhesive tube patches<br />
<br />
<b>Clothing:</b><br />
Pair of flip flops<br />
Rain pants<br />
Rainproof shoe covers<br />
Rain jacket (shell)<br />
Swimming trunks<br />
3 pairs of socks<br />
Underwear<br />
3 tshirts (made of sweat wicking material)<br />
1 pair of tracksuit pants<br />
2 pairs of shorts with padding<br />
1 pair of basketball shorts<br />
1 longsleeve cycling jersey<br />
1 fleece sweater<br />
1 casual shirt<br />
1 pair of jeans (although I might jettison these on the journey)<br />
1 reflective vest for poor visibility days/nights<br />
1 pair of thin gloves<br />
1 pair of fingerless riding gloves<br />
1 skull cap<br />
1 cycling cap<br />
<br />
<b>Electronics:</b><br />
SLR with 35mm lens<br />
Cheap point and shoot<br />
Gorilla pod tripod<br />
ipad for internet access<br />
ipod for on bike music<br />
earphones<br />
Old school clam shell phone (7 days of battery!)<br />
Chargers for all the above!<br />
<br />
<b>Other:</b><br />
Factor 50 suncream for body and a suncream stick for lips<br />
Compass<br />
Sunglasses<br />
Toothbrush and toothpaste<br />
Nail clippers<br />
Deodorant<br />
Shower gel/soap<br />
Razor<br />
First aid kit (plasters, assorted tablets)<br />
Antibiotic cream<br />
Ibuprofen tablets<br />
Some electrolyte tablets to mix with water<br />
XL travel towel<br />
Combination padlock<br />
Pack of matches<br />
Some safety pins<br />
Spare batteries<br />
Little unbreakable (apparently) travel mirror<br />
A knife, fork and spoon (taken from my cutlery set)<br />
American Cycling Association maps<br />
<br />
<i><b>Have I forgotten anything? I think I may need:</b></i><br />
a simple sewing kit<br />
possibly some pepper spray for angry, snappy dogs<br />
chamois cream<br />
couple of bungie cords to hold the tent/bag/roll mat down to the rack<br />
spare brake pads<br />
body wipes<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNeFCvqI9_xnopw2ypkJ3zLj7K2ep_yHvRjLHLuqZSwuw1m0b0-JssAFZf3LxBbBhGildmfqnVw7Ulp_SsiQdRmnBhxuQ9KhGqQ9f9JasAvu1HLPid2vKmdb0Uio5TS-jrQ1wf9tPYDvg/s1600/knicksceltics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNeFCvqI9_xnopw2ypkJ3zLj7K2ep_yHvRjLHLuqZSwuw1m0b0-JssAFZf3LxBbBhGildmfqnVw7Ulp_SsiQdRmnBhxuQ9KhGqQ9f9JasAvu1HLPid2vKmdb0Uio5TS-jrQ1wf9tPYDvg/s320/knicksceltics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Pic from sbnation.com</span></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-80872473135958570972013-04-04T20:19:00.001-04:002013-04-04T20:19:40.471-04:00E is for ElectronicsIts just over 5 weeks to go now and final preparation is underway. Now this is going to be one long long trip and I will have a lot of time to myself. I like photography and am interesting in making some videos of the trip to preserve a feeling of how it felt cycling across a continent. I am traveling relatively light so have been thinking how I can combine everything together. So far here is my thinking...<br />
<br />
I already have a Nikon D3100 which is relatively small for an SLR. I have the kit lens and a 35mm that I will probably take with me for photography. I was really mulling over buying a Go Pro or a Contour Plus but have instead decided on another path (mainly due to not wanting to spend $400 on the new gear).<br />
<br />
I need a good mini tripod that I can use for this trip and for any subsequent backpacking or hiking that I will do later this year. After some research the best option was the Gorilla Pod Zoom SLR. Sturdy and able to hold the SLR steady.<br />
<br />
I already had an old Samsung TL350 point and shoot that can take HD movies so will use this on the bike somehow to take action scenes. Because I didnt get a Go Pro I also wanted a way to try out using the Gorilla Pod either as a monopod substitute or even hold the camera to the bike (although I anticipate a lot of shake). Using the ball head on top of the Gorilla Pod will make this easier to achieve.<br />
<br />
Thankfully I went to B&H in Manhattan and received excellent advice. The Gorilla Pod was $49.95 on its own. The same brand ball head is $39.95 but I have two cameras. I need two quick release plates or else I will constantly be switching the plate between cameras which will be annoying. Joby (makers of Gorilla pods do not sell plates by themselves).<br />
<br />
The answer was to get a Benro ball head that fitted on the Gorilla pod which uses standard fitting plates, I was able to get the ball head for $38.99 and an Oben quick release plate for $12.99. Perfect solution and real props to the B&H salesman who helped me out.<br />
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<br />
In terms of editing of pictures or creating videos I had to lay out some bucks. Initially I was looking at one of the chrome books but have instead plumped for the ipad mini with 64gb. An indulgence but something that will allow me to access my Barnes&Nobel books from my Nook, will allow skype video calls with girlfriend/family/friends back home and hold my music collection all in the tiniest and most exquisite package. (Have to be careful not to lose it, break it or get it nicked). iMovie and iPhoto are a total combined $10. Great value for relatively good editing software.<br />
<br />
The only thing now is to test it out by getting some interesting footage and trying to edit it on the ipad. Hopefully the weather is good this weekend and I can organise a quick jaunt around Brooklyn.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-39329792229306848442013-03-03T17:01:00.001-05:002013-03-03T17:01:36.402-05:0010 weeks to goLast Thursday the American Cycling Association maps arrived and I eagerly ripped open the envelope to have a first look at them (I'd had a few drinks beforehand for a work function so was in a good mood!).<br />
<br />
Pulling them out I have 12 mini maps that are jam packed with info, something that was overwhelming at first. After a quick glance this has driven home the enormity of the challenge ahead and made me feel my first real pangs of anxiety.<br />
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<br />
These have passed and changed again back to excitement. I watched the video below on how to read the maps and have also cross referenced the first map with some of the blogs to gauge how far others rode in the first weeks. Its helping to give me some sense of what it will be like when I set off from Yorktown.<br />
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Now its time to really step up the training.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-55179953237430840802013-02-16T10:27:00.001-05:002013-02-16T12:24:12.663-05:00Maps in transitAfter an early night I woke up early to start getting my shit together. First on the list is buying the maps for this trip. I have had my eye on them for the past 9 months but this morning was when I pulled the trigger. Total cost for the entire Transamerican route was $138 including priority mail. Should have them delivered by this time next week.<br />
<br />
Also whilst being on the adventure cycling association they have a pretty nice video created by one of their partners. Some very good tips in here and delivered in a quirky way.<br />
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<br />
As soon as the maps arrive I will start making an inventory of the remaining gear that I need to get (pocket knife, handlebar bag, compass etc) and to make sure all flights are booked in and out of the US.<br />
<br />
Provisional start date is now May 13. Just over 2 months to go!<br />
<br />
For some extra inspiration on these cold winter nights I have found that someone uploaded the whole BBC series of "the man who cycled the world" on YouTube following Mark Beaumont as he cycled from Paris around the world back to Paris in 194 days 17 hours. (He is only a year younger than me but did this when he was 25)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-54292211086008959752013-02-01T16:45:00.001-05:002013-02-01T16:45:19.302-05:00The end game (ship or sell?)I havent started yet, Im still 3 monts away but I did tell my boss that I am quitting and will be moving to Australia. Its really time to start putting my money where my mouth is. So, whilst avoiding strenuous training (note the lack of posts about riding lately) my mind has turned to the myriad other parts of the trip. Today I have mostly been thinking: what am I going to do when I hit my destination?<br />
<br />
Once I finish out on the west coast I will choose either to jettison my gear, chiefly the Trek, or decide to ship it over to Melbourne. Whilst shipping will be expensive, I think its going to be more cost efficient than selling the bike in a fire sale and then buying a new one in Oz. The question is, how to send it...<br />
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<br />
Seems to be a toss up between FedEx/UPS and dedicated bicycle shipping services. A root around the internets has found a few good starting points that I will investigate further on the road:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.adventurecycling.org/features/shippingbikecases.cfm">http://www.adventurecycling.org/features/shippingbikecases.cfm</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bikeflights.com/bicycle_shipping.aspx">http://www.bikeflights.com/bicycle_shipping.aspx</a><br />
<a href="http://www.shipbikes.com/International.html">http://www.shipbikes.com/International.html</a><br />
<br />
Shipbikes also can sell decent bike boxes. I have to weigh up how much packaging (and insurance) will be needed to send the bike without incurring risk of damage. Dont want any dents in the frame (or worse).<br />
<br />
In fact these articles have helped provide some good background on previous peoples attempts at shipping<br />
<a href="http://www.bicycle-touring-guide.com/bicycle-shipping/">http://www.bicycle-touring-guide.com/bicycle-shipping/</a><br />
<a href="http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2012/06/shipping-bicycles-delicate-matter.html">http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2012/06/shipping-bicycles-delicate-matter.html</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thecityedition.com/Pages/Archive/2010/Yosemite_Trekker/Post_060310.html">http://www.thecityedition.com/Pages/Archive/2010/Yosemite_Trekker/Post_060310.html</a> (pic from this page below)<br />
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I think for now this is about as much as I will look into it. As long as the cost is something around $500 this will be the way that I will go. Selling the bike on craigslist at the end of the journey for next to nothing would not be the nicest way to end the trip!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-73212814463227915342013-01-13T17:31:00.002-05:002013-01-13T17:31:40.642-05:00Enter at Lennox and Central Park North pleaseFirst ride in ages, and its shocking to learn how quick it is to fall out of shape!<br />
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I've been in my new apartment for just over 24 hours and the weather was very mild for January (11 degrees). Needed to do some kind of exercise to kick start the year so I went and met Nick M for a few laps of my new local park (the wonderful Central Park).<br />
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I've never been around the park completely so it was fantastic to enter in at the very top, up the incline north of the reservoir, then snake downhill to the bottom where all the horse and carriages are, and head back up and around a couple more times. Its quite different to prospect park in lots of ways which is refreshing. Its more varied in its route (more twists and hills), longer (its 6 miles according to <a href="http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/195195" target="_blank">this site</a>), and tonnes of interesting landmarks dotted around (obelisks, the MET, various statues, etc). You also cant ignore the excellent architecture that surrounds the park - high rise buildings that dont exist in Brooklyn. It was an added bonus that today was not that busy so not too many tourists to dodge!<br />
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Took a quick couple of snaps with my Blackberry around 4.30pm and it was already getting dark. I had to edit these pics heavily as the camera sensor is so poor!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2084485476419834948.post-64434386914277979692013-01-10T20:18:00.002-05:002013-01-10T20:18:58.980-05:00Sold you for a pretty pennyAnd a slightly sad end to 2012 by downsizing my bike collection. blub blub, bye bye Mr Boardman and Mr Hardrock. (But hello much needed cash for the trip).<br />
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Hope your new owners enjoy the rides (slightly overweight American Chinese man for Trek, and Nick M for the single speed rocket).<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258794216456205890noreply@blogger.com0