It was about an 80 mile trek from Columbus to Milwaukee, and we had a 7pm ferry to catch (we had decided to take a ferry across lake Michigan rather than go through Chicago or bike around Chicago), so we got a very early start, fortunately the wind was at our back and we blew into Milwaukee at about 330 pm.
First, I want to say that, as one of the first major cities that we biked through (with the exception of Minneapolis, where we used the bike freeway), we found that, on bike, the segregation of neighborhoods is even more obvious. In one moment we were in an impoverished, delapidated part of town, with awful roads, and less than 1/4 of a mile later we are in a yuppy neighborhood at a healthfood store. We also noticed an enormous racial divide. Apparently strucrual racism didn't go up in smoke as soon as Obama was elected. Who knew. But the dramatic differences really was a shock to our system, and what was worse, I think for both of us, was that we felt much more comfortable in the yuppy area. I don't think we would have stopped for coffee in the "rougher" part of town, but we didn't even think twice about pulling into this health food store and cafe. It really made us look not only at our national racism, and classism, but at our own, personal biases. We didn't really have any solution--except to admit our feelings of guilt, our culpability, to each other over organic Mocha Lattes.
But for all the hard time I give this health food store/cafe, it was very nice. We had a lovely talk with the barrista, who gave us directions to the ferry (it turns out that mapmyride.com did not offer realistic directions). You see, Milwaukee is laterally bisected (multisected?) by many rivers, and the only way to cross these rivers close to lake Michigan is on freeways (where bicycles are illegal). So we had to go back way west to find roads that would cross these rivers and take us to the southern part of town where the ferry was. We didn't think much of it... it was 330 and we didnt have to check in until 6 (though we were told that the deadline to check into the ferry was pretty strict). We were, of course, wrong.
Not only is Milwaukee a maze of biker-unfriendly-streets, but it turns out that pretty much the only way to get to the ferry terminal is off a freeway, so even though it wasn't for particularly long, Lindsey and I mounted a city freeway, braced our selves, and finally got to the ferry with only a few minutes to spare.
When we finally checked into the ferry we noticed that there were a couple of very nice bikes there. It didn't look like they were doing major touring (they didn't have panniers) but we were still eager to talk to them.
For whatever reason, on the Milwaukee/Muskegon ferry they let bikers on first, so it was there that we met Ken and Bob, two bicycling gentlemen who were friends from high school. We related our story and they almost immediately offered to let us stay at their places, which was an enormous relief-- Ken lived in Muskegon, where the ferry landed, and where the only place to stay cost 140$ (we were arriving too late at night to bike anywhere else) and Bob lived in Grand Rapids, where we were planning on going, but hadn't figure out where we were going to stay.
We had a lovely conversation with them before the ferry ride, but then spent most of the ferry ride looking for lindsey's phone which was right where she left it in my handle-bar bag, but which we didn't find until we landed.
We biked with Bob and Ken to Ken's place. Bob drove back home to Grand Rapids, and we spent a lovely evening with Ken and his husband, who funny enough, is also named Ken. We drank delicious wine (they were confessed wine snobs) and talked about their religious experiences, how they met, and their experience of coming out of the closet. Both Lindsey and I were both deeply compelled and moved by their story, by their commitment to be themselves, despite expectations of their generation (they were in their mid 60s we would guess).
We finally fell asleep, grateful for the extreme kindness and hospitality of strangers--not to mention their willingness to share their wonderful stories with us. Fortunately, the non-biking Ken was on facebook, and we are now facebook friends, so hopefully we can maintain some contact, and certainly return the favor if they ever come to Boston.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Thursday: July 23rd-- things actually go according to plan (Cormac)
We have a nice long day of biking. Since we had left the Kay's we have been using directions from mapmyride.com, and more often than not we would either end up ona dirt road (no good for our bikes) or we would be given a direction that didn't make sense (like to make both a left and a right at the same intersection) but the one thing that stands out about this day is that it was blessedly free of such incidents.
We pull into our campground with plenty of sunlight to spare. We realize that we are no longer in North Dakota any more when they charge us a whopping 19$ to camp. Also, we learned that if someone goes out of their way to convince you that there is absolutely no horse poop anywhere near your campground, you had better not wear flip-flops.
Apparently there was a horse shoe nearby and we were given a spot near where all the trailers and horses had been.
We had a lovely time that night watching the sunset, reading our books, plugging our noses and cleaning our feet. One interesting thing happened though... pretty late at night, a car pulled up next to our campsight, and a man and a very young woman (his daughter, we hope) go to sleep in their car. The next morning when lindsey has to get up early to use the ladies' room, she sees them down there cleaning up and heading off before the campground opened. Very suspicious we thought. I mention this because people keep asking us about the creepy people we ran into, and this, which wasn't that creepy, was about as bad as it got.
We pull into our campground with plenty of sunlight to spare. We realize that we are no longer in North Dakota any more when they charge us a whopping 19$ to camp. Also, we learned that if someone goes out of their way to convince you that there is absolutely no horse poop anywhere near your campground, you had better not wear flip-flops.
Apparently there was a horse shoe nearby and we were given a spot near where all the trailers and horses had been.
We had a lovely time that night watching the sunset, reading our books, plugging our noses and cleaning our feet. One interesting thing happened though... pretty late at night, a car pulled up next to our campsight, and a man and a very young woman (his daughter, we hope) go to sleep in their car. The next morning when lindsey has to get up early to use the ladies' room, she sees them down there cleaning up and heading off before the campground opened. Very suspicious we thought. I mention this because people keep asking us about the creepy people we ran into, and this, which wasn't that creepy, was about as bad as it got.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Catching up...
Just so we are all clear (including us), we arrived at the following places on the dates indicated:
Frontenac State Park, Red Wing, Minnesota July 19
Holmen, WI whispering pines campgroun July 20
Sparta, WI biketrail walk-in spot July 21
Reedsberg, WI city park July 22
Columbus, WI county camp site right on route with horse poop July 23
Muskegon, Ken and Ken's house July 24
Grand Rapids Bob and Gayla's house July 25
Williamston, MI Susan and Jack's house July 26
Ann Arbor, MI Mindy's house July 27
Sylvania, OH Seneys' house July 28
Lakeside, OH July 29th arrival
Now for some more details...
We arrive in Sparta, WI and as we are passing a huge Wal-Mart, biking on a road with no shoulder and lots of traffic, we look up and see a big billboard with a picture of a man on an old-fashion bike - big back wheel small little wheel set up - that says 'Welcome to Sparta, Biking Capital of America' HA! Is this a joke, we wonder aloud? Did they mean to write Once biking capital of america? Because of all the places we have biked, Sparta is pretty low on the list as far as ease and quality and safety goes. We still do not know why they get to call themselves that. Maybe it is like the contentious 'Geographical Center of America' title that Rugby, North Dakota gave itself. As I mentioned before we had some really really really good carrot cake (mom, it is still not as good as yours, really). And we wound our way to a camping spot right at the beginning of the Sparta-Elroy rail to trails bike trail. As we were arriving Dave, a fellow cross country cyclist, was coming from the other direction and so we shared a camp plot as well as lots of sage advice to take East and West. Dave gave us two particularly good recommendations: try honey and peanut butter sandwiches sometimes just to mix it up and call the police station in towns that you would like to camp in because mileage-wise it just works for you and ask if you can camp in a city park.
The next day we were going to be faced with either an exceptionally short day or long long day based on the campsites we had found online so we thought we'd put Dave's advise to the test: we called the Reedsberg police (from a landline borrowed at a store because the area we were biking in was a cell-phone dead zone) and they direct us to the city hall who gives me the cell phone number of the city park and rec head. I call him and he says well, ok, that's fine, sure. So we camped in Reedsberg in a very nice city park. This park was like the town social center with a big swimming pool and tennis courts and plenty of green space. And we are pretty sure they left the bathrooms open over night just for us, because we saw a police office come by in the morning to lock them. Thank you, Reedsburg!
Frontenac State Park, Red Wing, Minnesota July 19
Holmen, WI whispering pines campgroun July 20
Sparta, WI biketrail walk-in spot July 21
Reedsberg, WI city park July 22
Columbus, WI county camp site right on route with horse poop July 23
Muskegon, Ken and Ken's house July 24
Grand Rapids Bob and Gayla's house July 25
Williamston, MI Susan and Jack's house July 26
Ann Arbor, MI Mindy's house July 27
Sylvania, OH Seneys' house July 28
Lakeside, OH July 29th arrival
Now for some more details...
We arrive in Sparta, WI and as we are passing a huge Wal-Mart, biking on a road with no shoulder and lots of traffic, we look up and see a big billboard with a picture of a man on an old-fashion bike - big back wheel small little wheel set up - that says 'Welcome to Sparta, Biking Capital of America' HA! Is this a joke, we wonder aloud? Did they mean to write Once biking capital of america? Because of all the places we have biked, Sparta is pretty low on the list as far as ease and quality and safety goes. We still do not know why they get to call themselves that. Maybe it is like the contentious 'Geographical Center of America' title that Rugby, North Dakota gave itself. As I mentioned before we had some really really really good carrot cake (mom, it is still not as good as yours, really). And we wound our way to a camping spot right at the beginning of the Sparta-Elroy rail to trails bike trail. As we were arriving Dave, a fellow cross country cyclist, was coming from the other direction and so we shared a camp plot as well as lots of sage advice to take East and West. Dave gave us two particularly good recommendations: try honey and peanut butter sandwiches sometimes just to mix it up and call the police station in towns that you would like to camp in because mileage-wise it just works for you and ask if you can camp in a city park.
The next day we were going to be faced with either an exceptionally short day or long long day based on the campsites we had found online so we thought we'd put Dave's advise to the test: we called the Reedsberg police (from a landline borrowed at a store because the area we were biking in was a cell-phone dead zone) and they direct us to the city hall who gives me the cell phone number of the city park and rec head. I call him and he says well, ok, that's fine, sure. So we camped in Reedsberg in a very nice city park. This park was like the town social center with a big swimming pool and tennis courts and plenty of green space. And we are pretty sure they left the bathrooms open over night just for us, because we saw a police office come by in the morning to lock them. Thank you, Reedsburg!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
We are in Lakeside, OH at Cormac's family's cottage currently sitting on the porch, a requiste Lakeside activity. We arrived here on July 29, 2009 (I write the date because it feels like nearly a year ago (exaggeration, yes) since we arrived here). Our bikes quickly found a home along the side of the cottage and really have not been ridden since! Ha. I think we were excited to have some time off the saddle.
We are well and healthy and quite relaxed!
To bring you up to date:
We left the Kay family house in Plymouth, MN heading for Frontenac State Park near Winona and Red Wings, Minnesota. Gene and Jane biked us from their place to the bicycle freeway trail that takes you along the south side of the city. We were very impressed by the bike path systems in Minneapolis and surrounding areas! We stopped to say goodbye at the Bike Stop on the Freeway (they have showers and bathrooms and a coffee shop for commuter convience!) and then continued on our way.
It took us longer than we anticipated to complete our days journey and we arrived at the base of Frontenac around 8pm, with about an hour of sunlit remaining. Yes, I did say 'base'. There, staring us in the face after an already long, hardish day, was a mile long pretty steep climb. So, we stopped, ate handfuls of our homemade trail mix, played some cards, changed out of our bike shorts, and then decided to go for the climb to find a place to set up camp. Frontenac is right on the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin, a cliff overlooking the Mississippi. The view was beautiful and we set up in time for sunset. Unfortunately, as we were about to get our sleeping bags in the tent we heard something making lots of noise in the wooded patch next to it. Rustling more than the rustling of a squirrel and then I swear I saw eyes, two glowing eyes. And cormac heard a growl. So we relocated, quickly, very quickly, rushing to see if the function space near the bathhouse was open and yes it was so we find our way inside to set up on the concrete floor for a cozy, indoor, sleep. Our camping pads are quite impressive as they actually make it possible to sleep on concrete.
The next morning, we rise early for our journey across the mississipi and into wisconsin. aiming for Holmen, WI. We had a good days journey, fueled by Subway (a very good deal), and arrived to stay at Whispering Pines campground. Well, we are now in populated-ville and that means that this was a recreational campground where people park pretty fancy RVs and live for the summer. The RV next to where we eventually put our puny little tent was owned by a family who lived in town and they just buy a month at the campground every summer. RV culture is very laid back, firepits, beer, swimming, sitting. Though it is a little disturbing to see a television set up outdoors, at the back of an RV, and people gathered round that. Kind of strange to connect TVs and camping. Well it is an expensive plot ($20) or so and they very kindly gave us cyclists a discount and some water.
The next morning, date(? - we've lost track). we began our shortish bike to Sparta, WI. Arriving at the library just before it started raining. We found a cafe with delicious carrot cake and went back to get a second piece:))
We are well and healthy and quite relaxed!
To bring you up to date:
We left the Kay family house in Plymouth, MN heading for Frontenac State Park near Winona and Red Wings, Minnesota. Gene and Jane biked us from their place to the bicycle freeway trail that takes you along the south side of the city. We were very impressed by the bike path systems in Minneapolis and surrounding areas! We stopped to say goodbye at the Bike Stop on the Freeway (they have showers and bathrooms and a coffee shop for commuter convience!) and then continued on our way.
It took us longer than we anticipated to complete our days journey and we arrived at the base of Frontenac around 8pm, with about an hour of sunlit remaining. Yes, I did say 'base'. There, staring us in the face after an already long, hardish day, was a mile long pretty steep climb. So, we stopped, ate handfuls of our homemade trail mix, played some cards, changed out of our bike shorts, and then decided to go for the climb to find a place to set up camp. Frontenac is right on the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin, a cliff overlooking the Mississippi. The view was beautiful and we set up in time for sunset. Unfortunately, as we were about to get our sleeping bags in the tent we heard something making lots of noise in the wooded patch next to it. Rustling more than the rustling of a squirrel and then I swear I saw eyes, two glowing eyes. And cormac heard a growl. So we relocated, quickly, very quickly, rushing to see if the function space near the bathhouse was open and yes it was so we find our way inside to set up on the concrete floor for a cozy, indoor, sleep. Our camping pads are quite impressive as they actually make it possible to sleep on concrete.
The next morning, we rise early for our journey across the mississipi and into wisconsin. aiming for Holmen, WI. We had a good days journey, fueled by Subway (a very good deal), and arrived to stay at Whispering Pines campground. Well, we are now in populated-ville and that means that this was a recreational campground where people park pretty fancy RVs and live for the summer. The RV next to where we eventually put our puny little tent was owned by a family who lived in town and they just buy a month at the campground every summer. RV culture is very laid back, firepits, beer, swimming, sitting. Though it is a little disturbing to see a television set up outdoors, at the back of an RV, and people gathered round that. Kind of strange to connect TVs and camping. Well it is an expensive plot ($20) or so and they very kindly gave us cyclists a discount and some water.
The next morning, date(? - we've lost track). we began our shortish bike to Sparta, WI. Arriving at the library just before it started raining. We found a cafe with delicious carrot cake and went back to get a second piece:))
Thursday, July 23, 2009
...
So Pastor Bob calls Cormac and says sure thing, we are welcome to hang out at the church to stay out of the rain. We then spend the afternoon talking to Pastor Bob about a whole range of things, many about pastoring a church, and relaxing in the Youth Room. Pastor Bob is so so kind and generous, offering us a shower repeatedly at his family's house - apparently he thought we needed a shower more than we did:). And then he took us out to dinner and set us all up to spend a comfortable night in the youth room. The kindness of Grace United Methodist Church had a big impact on our time in Fergus Falls. Thank you, Pastor Bob, and peace to you and your family.
We leave Fergus Falls on the 16th of July excited to start the Central Lakes Trail, which heads Southeast through Minnesota and connects to the Lake Wobegon Trail. This is when the sun was shining, we were flying with a tail wind, and I look around at the land and hear the quiet and think, I like Minnesota! We enjoyed a full day on the trail, camping that night in a town park in Albany, MN (mosquitos!!!). The next day we biked to the trail's end, in St. John and then spent some time at the St. Michael's University there, using the internet to figure out how to get from there to Minneapolis. Very nice people at the university!
So to fastforward a bit just to get up to date, we biked to Baker State Park on the 17th and stayed there - nice but pricey for a campsite ($18.50). And then headed into Minneapolis the next day only to get rained on as we were passing a movie theatre and so we decided to catch a movie. Lucky for us, because Jane Carlsen Kay and her friend happened to be getting out of a movie at the same time as we were and asked us about our trip and where we were staying...
Yep, we ended up staying with Jane and her family - Gene, her husband and Emily and Jessie, their daughters! We actually even stayed for 2 nights - that's how wonderful they were:) THANK YOU JANE, GENE, EMILY & JESSIE - for the bed, the food, the laundry, the shower, the company, the bike into minneapolis, the run in the woods, conversation, box wine...Cheers to new friends.
....
It's Thursday, July 23rd and we are currently in Portage, Wisconsin. We will be in Milwaukee tomorrow evening to get on a Ferry to Muskegon, Michigan! We are amazed, honestly, at how much we have biked already. Including today we have done 39 days of biking, and have been on this journey longer than that. It's about every 4 days or so that one of us, and generally both, begins yearning for home, for the comfort of a consistent place to put our head down and wake up or simply for a kitchen to cook a variety of food in. We have envisioned our new apartment many times - figuring out what colors to paint the walls and how to arrange the furniture. But overall we are just enjoying this chance to explore the country by bike. We know that come October we will be thinking about traveling again...
So Pastor Bob calls Cormac and says sure thing, we are welcome to hang out at the church to stay out of the rain. We then spend the afternoon talking to Pastor Bob about a whole range of things, many about pastoring a church, and relaxing in the Youth Room. Pastor Bob is so so kind and generous, offering us a shower repeatedly at his family's house - apparently he thought we needed a shower more than we did:). And then he took us out to dinner and set us all up to spend a comfortable night in the youth room. The kindness of Grace United Methodist Church had a big impact on our time in Fergus Falls. Thank you, Pastor Bob, and peace to you and your family.
We leave Fergus Falls on the 16th of July excited to start the Central Lakes Trail, which heads Southeast through Minnesota and connects to the Lake Wobegon Trail. This is when the sun was shining, we were flying with a tail wind, and I look around at the land and hear the quiet and think, I like Minnesota! We enjoyed a full day on the trail, camping that night in a town park in Albany, MN (mosquitos!!!). The next day we biked to the trail's end, in St. John and then spent some time at the St. Michael's University there, using the internet to figure out how to get from there to Minneapolis. Very nice people at the university!
So to fastforward a bit just to get up to date, we biked to Baker State Park on the 17th and stayed there - nice but pricey for a campsite ($18.50). And then headed into Minneapolis the next day only to get rained on as we were passing a movie theatre and so we decided to catch a movie. Lucky for us, because Jane Carlsen Kay and her friend happened to be getting out of a movie at the same time as we were and asked us about our trip and where we were staying...
Yep, we ended up staying with Jane and her family - Gene, her husband and Emily and Jessie, their daughters! We actually even stayed for 2 nights - that's how wonderful they were:) THANK YOU JANE, GENE, EMILY & JESSIE - for the bed, the food, the laundry, the shower, the company, the bike into minneapolis, the run in the woods, conversation, box wine...Cheers to new friends.
....
It's Thursday, July 23rd and we are currently in Portage, Wisconsin. We will be in Milwaukee tomorrow evening to get on a Ferry to Muskegon, Michigan! We are amazed, honestly, at how much we have biked already. Including today we have done 39 days of biking, and have been on this journey longer than that. It's about every 4 days or so that one of us, and generally both, begins yearning for home, for the comfort of a consistent place to put our head down and wake up or simply for a kitchen to cook a variety of food in. We have envisioned our new apartment many times - figuring out what colors to paint the walls and how to arrange the furniture. But overall we are just enjoying this chance to explore the country by bike. We know that come October we will be thinking about traveling again...
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
another post, finally! Happy Belated BDays to HERO & RUSTY!
It's been a while since our last post and so much as happened that it is hard to figure out how to begin.
We left you on July 11th in Cooperstown, ND. Well, that night we made it to Page, ND. Enroute to Page, we stopped in Hope, ND (they had a water tower with a big smiley face on it - how hopeful:)) and met up with a couple biking on a tandem on the Northern Tier Route. Teresa and Reuben Peterson, from Modesto, CA are biking across the country as the first of many things on Rueben's 'things to do when I retire' list. We chatted a while and then Cormac and I headed on 15 miles or so more to Page for the night while Reuben and Teresa stayed in Hope. In Page, where the cars park in the middle of the road, Cormac and I caught a movie in the one theatre movie house. And, another night camping free in a ND city park.
The next day, July 13th, we saw the Peterson's (nice name:)) tandem outside the local cafe and ended up biking with them for a long 15 mile or so stretch directly into gusty head winds. Drafting off a tandem provides a nice shelter from the wind. Cormac and I agree that we would not have made that stretch in nearly such good time or spirits without Teresa and Reuben's help! At some point, we decided to take a break while they continued on. We arrive in Fargo around 4 or so and head to the bike store. The owner has converted an old train station into a Bike stor and cafe. A new chain and handlebar tape for Cormac's bike; and new bike shorts for Cormac's behind then a night at the local Howard Johnson's.
We lucked out with out timing in Fargo: We biked to the Laundromat to clean or very dirty clothes and then decided to get a beer...Well, we selected Dempsey's Pub and it was our lucky night because as we were entering, I noticed a handwritten sign in the window 'Josh Ritter 7:00-8:30' I did a double take because i was pretty sure that if they were talking about the well known Josh Ritter that there would be a bigger sign but I woman I asked was like 'yep, Josh Ritter, that Josh Ritter, here, I know, it's crazy, but great...' And so we got to see Josh Ritter perform in a small venue of about 40/50 people. I only missed 2 songs while biking to switch the laundry over to the dryer (I lost that rocks, paper, scissors round).
July 14th: Minnesota!!!
As we bike a whole day on nicely paved and secluded bike path, I think to myself, I like Minnesota!! Well, that was actually on July 16th that I thought that... July 14th was a short day mileage wise due to very strong headwinds (when you watch birds struggling to fly) and the threat of some serious thunderstorms. We left Fargo and crossed into MN in Moorehead. We were hoping to get to Fergus Falls but ended our days journey tired and thankful for a place to stay, which ended up being a motel. It was either that or the 'Pririe Chicken' in Rothsay, MN which was a massive statue of a praire chicken that people in the gas station thought it would be OK if we camped near. With storms coming we did not risk it.
Juily 15th: Another day of headwinds and eventual rain... There is, we were told, a predominant wind from the west. Predominant does not mean always, and we have been reminded of this fact on our trip. Happily, while we are chugging along some rolling hills into the wind, singing or praying or doing math in our heads - however it was that we were trying not to think about how many miles we had left - we see behind us a pair of bikers. They are getting closer (we were biking very slowly) and we realize they are the Petersons! Joy, our Headwind Buddies are here! They had also done a much shorter than anticipated day out of Fargo and stayed a few miles west of Rothsay. We biked the rest of the afternoon with them into Fergus Falls. We see a sign that says Fergus Falls 4 miles and it's a good thing that it was no further than that because right about then the sky darkened and we were getting wet. We biked a very fast 4 miles, worried by the thunder and lightning getting closer, to find happy shelter in Dairyland in Fergus Falls.
There were flood warnings out, you could see little waterfalls in the streets. This was some serious ran. Whew, thank goodness for Dairyland! The four of us set up in a booth for some lunch and card playing and figuring out sleeping plans... We were in good hands, we knew, when everyone in the place warned us NOT to stay at a motel that Reuben had just called that had really good rates. Cormac, flipping through a newspaper from the area sees a page with the churches nearby. 15 or so Lutheran churches, we counted, a Presbyterian and a Methodist. Cormac decides to put his Master of Divinity Degree to the test and calls the Methodist church. Why the Methodist one, you ask? Perhaps it was because Emma, our wedding officiant and friend was raised Methodist? We do not really know but it was a very good decision. Cormac leaves a message explaining that we are two Divinity School students/graduates and we are biking and need a place to spend the afternoon/evening until the rain clears. Pastor Bob calls back a few minutes later...
To be continued.
We left you on July 11th in Cooperstown, ND. Well, that night we made it to Page, ND. Enroute to Page, we stopped in Hope, ND (they had a water tower with a big smiley face on it - how hopeful:)) and met up with a couple biking on a tandem on the Northern Tier Route. Teresa and Reuben Peterson, from Modesto, CA are biking across the country as the first of many things on Rueben's 'things to do when I retire' list. We chatted a while and then Cormac and I headed on 15 miles or so more to Page for the night while Reuben and Teresa stayed in Hope. In Page, where the cars park in the middle of the road, Cormac and I caught a movie in the one theatre movie house. And, another night camping free in a ND city park.
The next day, July 13th, we saw the Peterson's (nice name:)) tandem outside the local cafe and ended up biking with them for a long 15 mile or so stretch directly into gusty head winds. Drafting off a tandem provides a nice shelter from the wind. Cormac and I agree that we would not have made that stretch in nearly such good time or spirits without Teresa and Reuben's help! At some point, we decided to take a break while they continued on. We arrive in Fargo around 4 or so and head to the bike store. The owner has converted an old train station into a Bike stor and cafe. A new chain and handlebar tape for Cormac's bike; and new bike shorts for Cormac's behind then a night at the local Howard Johnson's.
We lucked out with out timing in Fargo: We biked to the Laundromat to clean or very dirty clothes and then decided to get a beer...Well, we selected Dempsey's Pub and it was our lucky night because as we were entering, I noticed a handwritten sign in the window 'Josh Ritter 7:00-8:30' I did a double take because i was pretty sure that if they were talking about the well known Josh Ritter that there would be a bigger sign but I woman I asked was like 'yep, Josh Ritter, that Josh Ritter, here, I know, it's crazy, but great...' And so we got to see Josh Ritter perform in a small venue of about 40/50 people. I only missed 2 songs while biking to switch the laundry over to the dryer (I lost that rocks, paper, scissors round).
July 14th: Minnesota!!!
As we bike a whole day on nicely paved and secluded bike path, I think to myself, I like Minnesota!! Well, that was actually on July 16th that I thought that... July 14th was a short day mileage wise due to very strong headwinds (when you watch birds struggling to fly) and the threat of some serious thunderstorms. We left Fargo and crossed into MN in Moorehead. We were hoping to get to Fergus Falls but ended our days journey tired and thankful for a place to stay, which ended up being a motel. It was either that or the 'Pririe Chicken' in Rothsay, MN which was a massive statue of a praire chicken that people in the gas station thought it would be OK if we camped near. With storms coming we did not risk it.
Juily 15th: Another day of headwinds and eventual rain... There is, we were told, a predominant wind from the west. Predominant does not mean always, and we have been reminded of this fact on our trip. Happily, while we are chugging along some rolling hills into the wind, singing or praying or doing math in our heads - however it was that we were trying not to think about how many miles we had left - we see behind us a pair of bikers. They are getting closer (we were biking very slowly) and we realize they are the Petersons! Joy, our Headwind Buddies are here! They had also done a much shorter than anticipated day out of Fargo and stayed a few miles west of Rothsay. We biked the rest of the afternoon with them into Fergus Falls. We see a sign that says Fergus Falls 4 miles and it's a good thing that it was no further than that because right about then the sky darkened and we were getting wet. We biked a very fast 4 miles, worried by the thunder and lightning getting closer, to find happy shelter in Dairyland in Fergus Falls.
There were flood warnings out, you could see little waterfalls in the streets. This was some serious ran. Whew, thank goodness for Dairyland! The four of us set up in a booth for some lunch and card playing and figuring out sleeping plans... We were in good hands, we knew, when everyone in the place warned us NOT to stay at a motel that Reuben had just called that had really good rates. Cormac, flipping through a newspaper from the area sees a page with the churches nearby. 15 or so Lutheran churches, we counted, a Presbyterian and a Methodist. Cormac decides to put his Master of Divinity Degree to the test and calls the Methodist church. Why the Methodist one, you ask? Perhaps it was because Emma, our wedding officiant and friend was raised Methodist? We do not really know but it was a very good decision. Cormac leaves a message explaining that we are two Divinity School students/graduates and we are biking and need a place to spend the afternoon/evening until the rain clears. Pastor Bob calls back a few minutes later...
To be continued.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Our Map
Thanks so much David for the advice
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=107585128708090206048.00046d927390568464998
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=107585128708090206048.00046d927390568464998
July 11th - HAPPY BIRTHDAY WHITNEY
I write from Cooperstown, ND. Population a little more than 1,000. We are taking a library break before heading on to either Hope or Arthur, ND, depending on how we feel - one being a shortish 23 miles and the other a more substantial 60 miles away. Then tomorrow we will be in Fargo! As of tomorrow we will have been on the road for 1 month! (I've got bike short and glove tans and a sunglass tan to prove it - nevermind increasingly powerful legs:)) We are both getting very used to camping most nights - made much much much more comfortable by the pads we purchased in Sandpoint, ID. There were several nights since then that we would have just been miserable camping on the surface offered. For example, three nights ago we stayed in Esmond, ND. While we had been playing BINGO at the local Esmond Bar (more on that below), the locals had warned us of possible tornadoes. Yikes. We had heard news of possible thunderstorms but tornadoes?! So we set up our tent on the concrete floor of a three sided picnic structure in the town park (where you can camp for free and they even have a shower and bathroom:)) Our sleeping pads made it possible for sleeping on concrete to actually be, um, comfortable.
And, to calm you all, there were no tornadoes. Some seriously bright and big lightning and loud rolling thunder but no tornadoes. They hit western North Dakota more, I heard. We did feel good, however, should there have been tornadoes, knowing that we had a substantial bathouse to hide in, or - as we had been informed by the locals at the bar - knock on anyone's door and they'll let you in. Back to BINGO. Cormac and I arrived in Esmond around 6 or so. We had had a slow day battling strong headwinds from Rugby. It took us way too long to get only 20 miles and we were worn out. So, with about 6 miles left to Esmond, we hitched a ride and were kindly picked up by Mr. Elmer Wolfe. Yep, Elmer. The first Elmer I've ever met. Well Elmer lives in the house that he was born in. "If you don't believe me," Elmer said, "ask my mom." (Now, Elmer is not exactly a young lad) "She's 93 and still drives," he added as he pointed out her house in town as we passed it on the way to the town park. He works the farm that his father worked and his father's father before that. Elmer is hoping his son will be taking it over after him. The park was wonderful. Really North Dakota has the nicest town parks, set up with swings and play stuff as well as picnic tables and grills and bathhouses and plenty of good camping grass and most are free! We went for a little walk and wound our way to to Esmond Bar (ok - so that makes it sound
like it was a big city that we walked for a long time and decided on a certain bar. Nope, actually it was the only establishment opened in the town and it's really really hard to miss:)) Lucy us, because it was BINGO night!!! Every Tuesday and Wednesday locals gather in the bar to play BINGO. There were about 20 people playing - which is a lot given that the town pop is less than 100! We learned the next day while talking to the husband of the woman who calls the letter/number combos that the $500 prize they offer and the $100 prize they offer and which are actually very winnable are both what draw a lot of folks in and what may cause the operation to have to stop in the near future. Hopefully not, cause it was fun! One of the older ladies playing BINGO (note: it was not all older women, there was a young family and some guys too) was Katie Wolfe. Elmer had mentioned his mother's name and when she introduced herself as Katie, I asked if she was Katie Wolfe. She was so happy that Elmer gave us a ride and corrected his math - she is actually 94 but it's hard to believe she is a day over 70.
Ok - the library is closing in 10 minutes so I will get in what I can.
We ended up staying the day on Thursday in Esmond, just to relax and enjoy the nice weather from a non-peddling posture. We had breakfast at the Cafe - on the other side of the block from the bar where the town gathers in the morning. Katie Wolfe was there, a seat saved for her at her usual table. And we borrowed two books from the cafe to read for the day. Sadly we had to return them before we finished but it was a nice way to spend a day.
We left Esmond on Friday morning excited for winds from the NNW at 10-25 mph!! Thanks to these lovely breezes, we managed our first century. Actually, we biked 111 miles yesterday! From Esmond to Binford. A few things: there are Lutheran Churches everywhere in ND - and if there is only 1 church in a town it is likely a lutheran one; North Dakota is not completely flat - we hit some hills in our last 18 miles yesterday; North Dakota is really quite beautiful;
...
TO BE CONTINUED...
Peace, Lindsey
And, to calm you all, there were no tornadoes. Some seriously bright and big lightning and loud rolling thunder but no tornadoes. They hit western North Dakota more, I heard. We did feel good, however, should there have been tornadoes, knowing that we had a substantial bathouse to hide in, or - as we had been informed by the locals at the bar - knock on anyone's door and they'll let you in. Back to BINGO. Cormac and I arrived in Esmond around 6 or so. We had had a slow day battling strong headwinds from Rugby. It took us way too long to get only 20 miles and we were worn out. So, with about 6 miles left to Esmond, we hitched a ride and were kindly picked up by Mr. Elmer Wolfe. Yep, Elmer. The first Elmer I've ever met. Well Elmer lives in the house that he was born in. "If you don't believe me," Elmer said, "ask my mom." (Now, Elmer is not exactly a young lad) "She's 93 and still drives," he added as he pointed out her house in town as we passed it on the way to the town park. He works the farm that his father worked and his father's father before that. Elmer is hoping his son will be taking it over after him. The park was wonderful. Really North Dakota has the nicest town parks, set up with swings and play stuff as well as picnic tables and grills and bathhouses and plenty of good camping grass and most are free! We went for a little walk and wound our way to to Esmond Bar (ok - so that makes it sound
like it was a big city that we walked for a long time and decided on a certain bar. Nope, actually it was the only establishment opened in the town and it's really really hard to miss:)) Lucy us, because it was BINGO night!!! Every Tuesday and Wednesday locals gather in the bar to play BINGO. There were about 20 people playing - which is a lot given that the town pop is less than 100! We learned the next day while talking to the husband of the woman who calls the letter/number combos that the $500 prize they offer and the $100 prize they offer and which are actually very winnable are both what draw a lot of folks in and what may cause the operation to have to stop in the near future. Hopefully not, cause it was fun! One of the older ladies playing BINGO (note: it was not all older women, there was a young family and some guys too) was Katie Wolfe. Elmer had mentioned his mother's name and when she introduced herself as Katie, I asked if she was Katie Wolfe. She was so happy that Elmer gave us a ride and corrected his math - she is actually 94 but it's hard to believe she is a day over 70.
Ok - the library is closing in 10 minutes so I will get in what I can.
We ended up staying the day on Thursday in Esmond, just to relax and enjoy the nice weather from a non-peddling posture. We had breakfast at the Cafe - on the other side of the block from the bar where the town gathers in the morning. Katie Wolfe was there, a seat saved for her at her usual table. And we borrowed two books from the cafe to read for the day. Sadly we had to return them before we finished but it was a nice way to spend a day.
We left Esmond on Friday morning excited for winds from the NNW at 10-25 mph!! Thanks to these lovely breezes, we managed our first century. Actually, we biked 111 miles yesterday! From Esmond to Binford. A few things: there are Lutheran Churches everywhere in ND - and if there is only 1 church in a town it is likely a lutheran one; North Dakota is not completely flat - we hit some hills in our last 18 miles yesterday; North Dakota is really quite beautiful;
...
TO BE CONTINUED...
Peace, Lindsey
Sunday, July 5, 2009
July 4th in Havre
It's the morning of July 5th. We are in Havre, MT. Now, I will journey back in time a bit... We left Whitefish in our classic casual style on the 30th and biked into Glacier National Park around 2or 3ish. Most of the road on the West Side of Logan pass are closed to bicyclists from 11 to 4 because of the narrowness of the road. So we considered our options and decided to chill in Apgar - which is just 3 or so miles into the Park until 4. We put our feet in some very cold glacier water of Lake MacDonald and saw Don and Jaimie taking naps. Who are Don and Jamie? Well, they are 2 guys we met in Whitefish. Don is doing the whole Northern Tier route and Jamie was joinng him until East Glacier (just south of the route). They were planning to bike to the Avalanche campground once the roads opened at 4 and then to bike Logan Pass the next day. We were pretty sure we were not going to do the Logal Pass bike -it's grade on our elevation map was steeper than anything we had yet done and Washington and Rainy pass were hard enough on Cormac's knees that we thought better than to test them again on Logan. So we thought about hitching a ride up the pass than camping in St. Mary at the bottom, but we ended up biking to Avalanche and sharing a hiker/biker lot with Don, Jamie and another guy, Phil, and then took the tram up the pass the next morning. Ok. I feel like we cheated a little bit taking the tram up that pass, but it was a very very very narrow road and a 15 mile climb or so and the view from the tram was something stunning so it all worked out in the end. We then biked DOWN the pass (ah, lovely downhills:)) and headed for Cut Bank, MT. Our route actually takes us into Canada but I don't have my passport with me and Cormac's expired so we had to seek an alternate. 89 S was the road we were going to take out of the park to Browning, MT where it met up with Rt. 2, which is the road we are on for much of MT. Unfortunately, 89 is NOT a bicycling-friendly road. Not at all. It is quite narrow, with NO shoulder and lots of RV traffic - tourists coming to and from Glacier Ntl Park. Being as good as we are now at realizing that we have to expect plans to change all the time, we pulled over on the side of the road and commenced to seek a ride. A tow truck pulled over and offered us a ride to Browning - about 25 miles. The driver, who's name might have been Louie, was a Blackfeet and told us stories about how the moutains around the Blackfeet Reservation we were driving through were named. We were in the Plains of Montana now, across the Continental Divide.
He dropped us off at a gas station near Browning. Shortly after we realized that my right pannier was still in the back of his truck and Cormac - being the amazingly personable person he is, chats up a pickup truck of folks at the gas station who know where Louie works and they commence trying to catch up to him. Success! Cormac arrives back with my right pannier! We then bike to Cut Bank, running into a few West bound bikers along the way. These fellows tell of us the many winds at our back to come. They recommend setting up a sail on the back of our bikes and just riding with the wind.
Our ride to Cut Bank, however, brings none of these much anticipated tail winds. Nope. Nor does our bike the next day from Cut Bank to Chester, MT. Ok, first Cut Bank. We arrive pretty late - around 9pm but the sun is still shining - i love these late night sunsets - and decide to pay for a pretty pricey campsite - $20! - but it comes with a shower and they have a cheap laundry on site so cormac does a load right away, and a rec room with a TV and magazines and a coffee maker. It was like living in luxury:) We leave Cut Bank, hoping for those tail winds. Unfortunately, the locals have been telling us that the weather is cooky this year and the storms are causing the winds to blow in all kinds of directions. Yep, they are. We had hoped to get to Joplin, a small town with a park for camping but after 2 flats and lots of head wind and some rain, we are really beat as we arrive in Chester. A biker heading West who we crossed paths with talked up the MX motel and it's restuarant as there is a guy there, Sean, with a really long - maybe 3 feet - who is all into bicyclists. So cormac, leading the way doesn't even pause at the sign for a campsite and heads straigh to the Motel. It was a rough day and we are both feeling frustrated and tired. You know what? Biking 21 days in a row gets tiring!!:) ha, who'd have thunk it? But the sun, a little bit of tail wind, longish stretches of downhill and a new decision on our part to take more breaks that are just sit on the side of the road and read or write or nap breaks, helps us to get to Havre, MT smiling and thankful for another day on our bikes.
We stayed at the Northern Fair and campground in Havre, on a nice piece of grass for $10 with a shower included. Ross and Ruth are a retired couple we meet from Ontario who are headed to Alberta in their van to visit their son. They like the states, so they take the longer route through MT. (Ross - this Ross, after I said my brothers name is Ross, was surprised, saying Ross' are a special breed). We chatted a while and set up tent then went over to the 'Irish Pub' across the way for a brew. As we look at the next legs of our route, heading into Malta and Glagsow, the waitress warns us of the Mosquitos in her hometown - Malta. We had heard of this 100 mile or so stretch of really nasty mosquitos from a few people. I am forgetting now who said this - oh, I think it was Sean in Chester - but a fellow was telling us he saw a white horse turn black from being covered with the bugs. The waitress was telling us that when her kids were little and then went to visit her parents in Malta for the first time they got all bitten so badly that their eyes were swollen nearly shut. Ok, I hate mosquitos. They love me. I was not looking forward to this buggy bike. One biker we ran into said authorities would not allow him to camp in Malta because the bugs were so bad. Ugh.
Well, we have an appointment to get tune ups on our bikes on Saturday, the 4th. So we head over to the shop in the morning planning to head out in the early afternoon for a shortish 40 mile day. Well, we are walking around Havre on teh 4th and it is dead. Man, this is the biggest town we have hit in a longtime - over 9,000 people - and everything is closed and there's no one on the street. Strange. There is a parade that passes by. I think Cormac and I make up 80% of the people watching intentionally - the others are those driving east on teh same road the parade is marching west on. 4 horses, a few old cars, a dozen 'democrats' holding a banner, i think that about made up the parade. We walk some more and see a sign for Amtrack train station. Hmmmm. Thinking of the mosquitos to come and of the wind out of the East that the weather forecast his saying will be with us for a while, and also of this one town head that people say is pretty rough, Cormac and I decide to check out what the train schedule and fares are...
And so we are getting on a 1:15 train to Minot, ND. Yes, we are skipping several miles but you know what, this is our honeymoon and we are excited to miss the mosquitos and have some extra time to visit friends in Chicago, hopefully. So we are pretty excited about this. Also we have heard endlessly great things about the nice people of North Dakota. We actually met our first North Dakotan couple in Pepin Park in Havre yesterday and nice they were. They are driving from Petersburg, ND to Glacier Park to do some hiking. They are not going to be home, but their kids will be - college age - and the give us their contact info and invite us to call them if we want a shower and/or a place to stay when we pass through their neighborhood. Amazing.
Another amazingly nice couple offered us a place to stay last night too. Martin and April. Martin is the mechanic who worked on our bikes and we just got to talking and Cormac and I were going to stay in Pepin Park but so as to not have to stay out in a park on the 4th of July they offer to let us camp in their yard. We take them up on the offer and are still chilling with them this morning, about to get some brunch before Cormac and I head out on the train. It's so exciting to think of all the people we have met who we just would never have known if we had not taken this journey. And a journey it is....
He dropped us off at a gas station near Browning. Shortly after we realized that my right pannier was still in the back of his truck and Cormac - being the amazingly personable person he is, chats up a pickup truck of folks at the gas station who know where Louie works and they commence trying to catch up to him. Success! Cormac arrives back with my right pannier! We then bike to Cut Bank, running into a few West bound bikers along the way. These fellows tell of us the many winds at our back to come. They recommend setting up a sail on the back of our bikes and just riding with the wind.
Our ride to Cut Bank, however, brings none of these much anticipated tail winds. Nope. Nor does our bike the next day from Cut Bank to Chester, MT. Ok, first Cut Bank. We arrive pretty late - around 9pm but the sun is still shining - i love these late night sunsets - and decide to pay for a pretty pricey campsite - $20! - but it comes with a shower and they have a cheap laundry on site so cormac does a load right away, and a rec room with a TV and magazines and a coffee maker. It was like living in luxury:) We leave Cut Bank, hoping for those tail winds. Unfortunately, the locals have been telling us that the weather is cooky this year and the storms are causing the winds to blow in all kinds of directions. Yep, they are. We had hoped to get to Joplin, a small town with a park for camping but after 2 flats and lots of head wind and some rain, we are really beat as we arrive in Chester. A biker heading West who we crossed paths with talked up the MX motel and it's restuarant as there is a guy there, Sean, with a really long - maybe 3 feet - who is all into bicyclists. So cormac, leading the way doesn't even pause at the sign for a campsite and heads straigh to the Motel. It was a rough day and we are both feeling frustrated and tired. You know what? Biking 21 days in a row gets tiring!!:) ha, who'd have thunk it? But the sun, a little bit of tail wind, longish stretches of downhill and a new decision on our part to take more breaks that are just sit on the side of the road and read or write or nap breaks, helps us to get to Havre, MT smiling and thankful for another day on our bikes.
We stayed at the Northern Fair and campground in Havre, on a nice piece of grass for $10 with a shower included. Ross and Ruth are a retired couple we meet from Ontario who are headed to Alberta in their van to visit their son. They like the states, so they take the longer route through MT. (Ross - this Ross, after I said my brothers name is Ross, was surprised, saying Ross' are a special breed). We chatted a while and set up tent then went over to the 'Irish Pub' across the way for a brew. As we look at the next legs of our route, heading into Malta and Glagsow, the waitress warns us of the Mosquitos in her hometown - Malta. We had heard of this 100 mile or so stretch of really nasty mosquitos from a few people. I am forgetting now who said this - oh, I think it was Sean in Chester - but a fellow was telling us he saw a white horse turn black from being covered with the bugs. The waitress was telling us that when her kids were little and then went to visit her parents in Malta for the first time they got all bitten so badly that their eyes were swollen nearly shut. Ok, I hate mosquitos. They love me. I was not looking forward to this buggy bike. One biker we ran into said authorities would not allow him to camp in Malta because the bugs were so bad. Ugh.
Well, we have an appointment to get tune ups on our bikes on Saturday, the 4th. So we head over to the shop in the morning planning to head out in the early afternoon for a shortish 40 mile day. Well, we are walking around Havre on teh 4th and it is dead. Man, this is the biggest town we have hit in a longtime - over 9,000 people - and everything is closed and there's no one on the street. Strange. There is a parade that passes by. I think Cormac and I make up 80% of the people watching intentionally - the others are those driving east on teh same road the parade is marching west on. 4 horses, a few old cars, a dozen 'democrats' holding a banner, i think that about made up the parade. We walk some more and see a sign for Amtrack train station. Hmmmm. Thinking of the mosquitos to come and of the wind out of the East that the weather forecast his saying will be with us for a while, and also of this one town head that people say is pretty rough, Cormac and I decide to check out what the train schedule and fares are...
And so we are getting on a 1:15 train to Minot, ND. Yes, we are skipping several miles but you know what, this is our honeymoon and we are excited to miss the mosquitos and have some extra time to visit friends in Chicago, hopefully. So we are pretty excited about this. Also we have heard endlessly great things about the nice people of North Dakota. We actually met our first North Dakotan couple in Pepin Park in Havre yesterday and nice they were. They are driving from Petersburg, ND to Glacier Park to do some hiking. They are not going to be home, but their kids will be - college age - and the give us their contact info and invite us to call them if we want a shower and/or a place to stay when we pass through their neighborhood. Amazing.
Another amazingly nice couple offered us a place to stay last night too. Martin and April. Martin is the mechanic who worked on our bikes and we just got to talking and Cormac and I were going to stay in Pepin Park but so as to not have to stay out in a park on the 4th of July they offer to let us camp in their yard. We take them up on the offer and are still chilling with them this morning, about to get some brunch before Cormac and I head out on the train. It's so exciting to think of all the people we have met who we just would never have known if we had not taken this journey. And a journey it is....
Monday, June 29, 2009
Day 16-18 Whitefish Saturday -Monday 6/27-2/29
I get to whitefish, and with all the rattling of my back tire, I am feeling very saddle sore (sorry if that is too much information). We roll into one bikeshop, but it is late saturday and they will be closed sunday (not enough time to build me a new back wheel). just as they are recommending the other bike shop in town, one of the mechanics from the other bike shop, TIm, rolls up, testing out a new bike. After a long conversation all around, Tim escorts us to the other bike shop, where they offer to build me the toughest wheel they can for 115. We also stock up on other good things, like an extra tire, some more tubes, more chain lube, and plenty of recommendations about what to do for saddle sores (mainly they recommend some rest).
So, here we have been in white fish, after biking in on Saturday, and laying about for two days in a nearby camping spot (7$ a night 2$ for a shower), hanging out at the local coffee shop, the library, and our campsite (which has a lovely view of lake whitefish, and plenty of curious tow-headed kids to watch play). We are catching up on our reading, stretching and relaxing, and looking forward to getting going tomorrow. Our plan is to get to the base of logan pass for tomorrow night (6/30), and then get up logan pass and another 60 miles by the end of the day. Considering the kind of climb it is going to be, and how far out of our way it is going to be, it better be freakin gorgeous.
So, here we have been in white fish, after biking in on Saturday, and laying about for two days in a nearby camping spot (7$ a night 2$ for a shower), hanging out at the local coffee shop, the library, and our campsite (which has a lovely view of lake whitefish, and plenty of curious tow-headed kids to watch play). We are catching up on our reading, stretching and relaxing, and looking forward to getting going tomorrow. Our plan is to get to the base of logan pass for tomorrow night (6/30), and then get up logan pass and another 60 miles by the end of the day. Considering the kind of climb it is going to be, and how far out of our way it is going to be, it better be freakin gorgeous.
Day 15 Eureka!
With my slightly wobley back wheel, Lindsey and I bike ~70 miles to Eureka. It is a cute little town, and we spend the night, again, in the city green, but this time with no fire. It is a relatively uneventful day, except that, I kept blowing tubes, and we didnt get started out of Libby until about 1. I have found, more recently, that I need to be much more careful about putting pressure on the nozzle with my hand held pump...
Day 14 Trouble (Cormac)
We get about 30 miles of gorgeous Montana miles behind us, before, I run over a rock the size of my fist while going 35 mph. My tire goes flat and my rim has an indentation that you could fit a dime into.
We hitchhike 8 miles into Libby, with a guy who turns out to be a little sketchy (one sketchy guy among all the ones that we have run into isn't so bad). He takes us to a discount store that obviously wouldnt have what we want, and then offers to cart us all over town. We dont think that he is harmful necessarily, but we think that he is going to want money for his trouble. So we thank him, but it takes some insistince for him to drive off without us.
As it turns out, there really isn't anywhere in Libby that he could have driven us that would have been helpful. Ace Hardware actually had some wheels, but none that would fit, and the sportstore has nothing but mountain bikes.
Lindsey, meets an older fellow named larry while hanging out outside of Ace (Larry's wife works at ace), and Larry, offers to drive us to Troy, where there is a small bike shop (a guy, a garage and a few tools). Larry gets this guy's number, and luck enough, he has what we want.
Larry offers to take us to Troy, and we gratefully accept. Along the way, we have about the best and most interesting conversation we have had on this trip. It turns out that about half of the people in Libby are affected by Asbestos poisoning due to a local mine. Larry is one of them, so was Larry's dad, who also happened to be the head of the union in charge of working that mind. The way Larry described his father's attempt to shut down his own mine (putting his own union out of work) put tears in all of our eyes. "It's killing our families," Larry's father would say. But the workers didnt want to listen. It took years to close down that mine (well after Larry's dad died).
Larry also shared a story about how one of his kids got him to quit smoking, first by trying to lecture him for two hours, and then threatening to start smoking and keep on smoking until Larry quit.
Larry waited for us, while Dennis "The Mennis" bent my wheel back in to shape (he had a wheel that would fit, but admitted that it was too low a quality for the weight I was hauling).
We drove back, and Larry talked about his experiences of God, and how he, in his own quiet way, was rescued from PTSD and Alcolohism, by his budding faith. We never mentioned once we were ministers.
Lindsey and I parted ways with Larry and set up a tent in a little park right in the middle of Libby, MT. It cost 5$, and it is the first time we had to pay for a campsight in a very long time (it turns out that our experience of paying 14$ for a campsite was an aberation... for anyone curious any United States Forest Service campground is free... and they are usually lovely and well cared for... though often without showers, and sometimes without water altogether.)
One benefit of camping in the middle of town is that we can buy grogeries that might go bad... so we cook up veggie sausages for dinner and eggs for breakfast... we also invest in a little oven tray turned campstove, as we are a little tired of getting all of our hot food by boiling 2 cups of water in our jet boil. We also invest in some non-instant coffee and coffee filters. Our tastes seem to be getting a little richer, and our bags a little heavier.
We hitchhike 8 miles into Libby, with a guy who turns out to be a little sketchy (one sketchy guy among all the ones that we have run into isn't so bad). He takes us to a discount store that obviously wouldnt have what we want, and then offers to cart us all over town. We dont think that he is harmful necessarily, but we think that he is going to want money for his trouble. So we thank him, but it takes some insistince for him to drive off without us.
As it turns out, there really isn't anywhere in Libby that he could have driven us that would have been helpful. Ace Hardware actually had some wheels, but none that would fit, and the sportstore has nothing but mountain bikes.
Lindsey, meets an older fellow named larry while hanging out outside of Ace (Larry's wife works at ace), and Larry, offers to drive us to Troy, where there is a small bike shop (a guy, a garage and a few tools). Larry gets this guy's number, and luck enough, he has what we want.
Larry offers to take us to Troy, and we gratefully accept. Along the way, we have about the best and most interesting conversation we have had on this trip. It turns out that about half of the people in Libby are affected by Asbestos poisoning due to a local mine. Larry is one of them, so was Larry's dad, who also happened to be the head of the union in charge of working that mind. The way Larry described his father's attempt to shut down his own mine (putting his own union out of work) put tears in all of our eyes. "It's killing our families," Larry's father would say. But the workers didnt want to listen. It took years to close down that mine (well after Larry's dad died).
Larry also shared a story about how one of his kids got him to quit smoking, first by trying to lecture him for two hours, and then threatening to start smoking and keep on smoking until Larry quit.
Larry waited for us, while Dennis "The Mennis" bent my wheel back in to shape (he had a wheel that would fit, but admitted that it was too low a quality for the weight I was hauling).
We drove back, and Larry talked about his experiences of God, and how he, in his own quiet way, was rescued from PTSD and Alcolohism, by his budding faith. We never mentioned once we were ministers.
Lindsey and I parted ways with Larry and set up a tent in a little park right in the middle of Libby, MT. It cost 5$, and it is the first time we had to pay for a campsight in a very long time (it turns out that our experience of paying 14$ for a campsite was an aberation... for anyone curious any United States Forest Service campground is free... and they are usually lovely and well cared for... though often without showers, and sometimes without water altogether.)
One benefit of camping in the middle of town is that we can buy grogeries that might go bad... so we cook up veggie sausages for dinner and eggs for breakfast... we also invest in a little oven tray turned campstove, as we are a little tired of getting all of our hot food by boiling 2 cups of water in our jet boil. We also invest in some non-instant coffee and coffee filters. Our tastes seem to be getting a little richer, and our bags a little heavier.
Day 13 (Montana is Gorgeous) (Cormac)
We get through the last little bit of the Idaho panhandle and into Montana. The rolling foothills of the Rocky's and the expansive landscape offer some of the most scenic riding yet. Though we did get a late start from Sandpoint (soaking up every hotel second), the sun doesnt set until around 10. We also find that riding in the evening, between 4 and 9, is about the most gorgeous time to ride.
We roll into a US forrest service campsite right on a beautiful river, and cook over a fire.
We also use our sleeping pads for the first time and sleep like logs, without waking up feeling like logs.
We roll into a US forrest service campsite right on a beautiful river, and cook over a fire.
We also use our sleeping pads for the first time and sleep like logs, without waking up feeling like logs.
Day 12 (Our One Month Anniversary) 6/23 (Cormac)
Our one month anniversary happened to coincide with the finishing of our first map section, in Sandpoint Idaho.
We both get super excited about crossing state lines into Idaho, and even more excited about staying at a hotel again. i break a spoke, on the hub side of my back wheel. Since we dont have the tools for replacing that spoke, we grab a ride into town.
At the camping/biking store we finally decide to buy sleeping pads (we had been sleeping like logs, but also waking up as stiff as logs). We both felt very tough when everyone at the camping store was aghast that we had gone so long with just our bags. Everyone is super nice, and the guy who fixes our bikes gives us the skinny on Logan Pass (it is the continental divide, the highest peak in the trip, and its in Montana). We had been planning on avoiding it like the plague and taking an alternate route. But the bike repairman (whose name i sadly forget) said that it is the most gorgeous part of the whole tour and that we would be fools to skip it. He fixes our spoke for next to nothing and offers to let us camp on his lawn. It is our month-iversary, though, and we both want showers, so we decline his gracious offer.
We enjoy a fine italian meal. I get another ribeye, which actually doesnt hold a candle to the one I paid 8 bucks for just a weak ago.
We also hit the book store where Lindsey gets Diane Ackerman's "A History of the Senses" which she has been quoting from non-stop ever since, and I get Richard Bach's "A Bridge Across Forever."
We go back to the hotel room, watch a little TV and sleep like we actually have a bed.
We both get super excited about crossing state lines into Idaho, and even more excited about staying at a hotel again. i break a spoke, on the hub side of my back wheel. Since we dont have the tools for replacing that spoke, we grab a ride into town.
At the camping/biking store we finally decide to buy sleeping pads (we had been sleeping like logs, but also waking up as stiff as logs). We both felt very tough when everyone at the camping store was aghast that we had gone so long with just our bags. Everyone is super nice, and the guy who fixes our bikes gives us the skinny on Logan Pass (it is the continental divide, the highest peak in the trip, and its in Montana). We had been planning on avoiding it like the plague and taking an alternate route. But the bike repairman (whose name i sadly forget) said that it is the most gorgeous part of the whole tour and that we would be fools to skip it. He fixes our spoke for next to nothing and offers to let us camp on his lawn. It is our month-iversary, though, and we both want showers, so we decline his gracious offer.
We enjoy a fine italian meal. I get another ribeye, which actually doesnt hold a candle to the one I paid 8 bucks for just a weak ago.
We also hit the book store where Lindsey gets Diane Ackerman's "A History of the Senses" which she has been quoting from non-stop ever since, and I get Richard Bach's "A Bridge Across Forever."
We go back to the hotel room, watch a little TV and sleep like we actually have a bed.
Day 11 (Cormac)
We got a bit of a late start out of Sherman Pass, but it turned out to be a glorious morning. The sun broke through the clouds and offered a magical backlight to the towering evergreens.
We roll through the towns of Cusick and Usk. Now they may be the nicest towns in the world, but judging a book by its cover, they looked like sad, sad places. Most of the windows were boarded, and there was lot after lot of trailer park spaces vacant and for sale.
Something about those towns gave us the willies in a pretty serious way (no offense willie). But, when clouds started to gather and rain started to come down, and we realized it was 20+ miles to the next campsite, we pitched our tent in a campground just outside of town, feeling a little nervous, and hiding our campsite as best as we could.
We sleep like slightly scared logs.
We roll through the towns of Cusick and Usk. Now they may be the nicest towns in the world, but judging a book by its cover, they looked like sad, sad places. Most of the windows were boarded, and there was lot after lot of trailer park spaces vacant and for sale.
Something about those towns gave us the willies in a pretty serious way (no offense willie). But, when clouds started to gather and rain started to come down, and we realized it was 20+ miles to the next campsite, we pitched our tent in a campground just outside of town, feeling a little nervous, and hiding our campsite as best as we could.
We sleep like slightly scared logs.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Day 10 6/21/09 (Sherman Pass)
Sherman Pass is the highest pass in all of Washington (at about 5600 ft. elevation), and we biked up it. True, we started at a higher elevation than before Washington pass, but it was still a rough day. Coming down out of the pass is always fun. It is a bit like a rollercoaster. Going up is like waiting in line. It takes a lot of patience, and by the time you are about 1/2 done you are thinking whether or not it is worth it. Then you go down, and it is awesome. We try not to get to far above 35 mph, and are very mindful of turns, but we also try to have some fun to make up for the slog up hill.
About halfway through the day it started raining and didn't stop. We learned three things 1) all of our waterproofing gear works 2) biking in the rain sucks 3) setting up camp in the rain sucks. A few more experienced campers than our selves helped us set up a fire, but we hardly used it before getting into our tent and calling it a night.
About halfway through the day it started raining and didn't stop. We learned three things 1) all of our waterproofing gear works 2) biking in the rain sucks 3) setting up camp in the rain sucks. A few more experienced campers than our selves helped us set up a fire, but we hardly used it before getting into our tent and calling it a night.
Day 9, 6/20/09 boy are we tired (Cormac)
Les and Karen invite us round for some breakfast, and Lindsey has some non-fish meat for the first time since september of 2001. It is a piece of bacon, and it was delicious. She says she might also try some bison meat as we head through montana.
After 3 passes in 3 days, we are both feeling tired, and Lindsey's knee starts to hurt. We debate about how far to go and end up having a very, very short day, staying just east of republic, WA, after only going 30 miles. We spend most of the day in the Library, reading books and not updating our blog.
We end up at the Ferry county fair grounds (where the camping appears to be free), and there is a wedding going on. I strike up a conversation with a few of the folks there, and they take us in to this indoor carousel, which had been rebuilt by each horse, and each fixture being sponsored by a different person in town. Lindsey and I both ride at their encouragement, and have a blast.
Again, we sleep like logs.
After 3 passes in 3 days, we are both feeling tired, and Lindsey's knee starts to hurt. We debate about how far to go and end up having a very, very short day, staying just east of republic, WA, after only going 30 miles. We spend most of the day in the Library, reading books and not updating our blog.
We end up at the Ferry county fair grounds (where the camping appears to be free), and there is a wedding going on. I strike up a conversation with a few of the folks there, and they take us in to this indoor carousel, which had been rebuilt by each horse, and each fixture being sponsored by a different person in town. Lindsey and I both ride at their encouragement, and have a blast.
Again, we sleep like logs.
Day 8 5/19/09 (Cormac)
We ended up finding out that the campsite we were planning on staying at is closed. But the very same person who tells us this offers to let us stay on her and her husbands ranch (her name is Karen).
It is a pretty serious slog up Wauconda pass, but we make it, and find Karen and Les in their gorgeous log cabin on hundreds of acres of forest, and pasture land. Les gives us the skinny on how to Ranch, and explains his beef with environmentalists--they are a bunch of city folks who don't live in the wilderness, so when they come out here they want to treat it like a play ground, but, really, if they just took care of the land around them, and lived in ways that didnt require so much pollution things would be a lot better. We didn't feel like arguing with him, and found it very interesting to hear his side of the argument.
We pitched a tent on his thick, soft grass, and slept like logs (as usual).
It is a pretty serious slog up Wauconda pass, but we make it, and find Karen and Les in their gorgeous log cabin on hundreds of acres of forest, and pasture land. Les gives us the skinny on how to Ranch, and explains his beef with environmentalists--they are a bunch of city folks who don't live in the wilderness, so when they come out here they want to treat it like a play ground, but, really, if they just took care of the land around them, and lived in ways that didnt require so much pollution things would be a lot better. We didn't feel like arguing with him, and found it very interesting to hear his side of the argument.
We pitched a tent on his thick, soft grass, and slept like logs (as usual).
Friday, June 19, 2009
This is going to be a quick one.
We are in Tonasket at the moment. Just had some deliciously good calzone and Cormac had a philly cheesesteak in hopes of getting enough energy in us to get us up the next hill that we are about to tackle. Our hope is to climb Wauconda pass which is 4,310 ft over about 15 miles or so. It is not as steep as the passes we've done so far but this will be three days in a row of big hills!!!
Yesterday we had a great and unexpectedly long day. After the last update in Winthrop, we headed on to Twisp, very near and then did a pretty hefty grocery shop before deciding onward with it. So we climbed Loup Loup Pass. We arrived (finally) at the campground on the other side of the pass - so after we had gotten to enjoy some 10 miles or so of 6% grade downhill - around 8:30. The sun does not set here until 9 or later this time of year, which is wonderful!
Our evening last night was lovely. We met a couple, Kevin and Monique, who are from Omak and were camping at Leader Lake (the campground) for 3 days. They offered us a whole bunch of water, which we cheerfully accepted as there was no water at the campground, and we in turn offered them some of our quite spectacular trail mix and found ourselves talking with them until late. A really honest, funny, spiritual, just nice two people. It was a highlight for Cormac and me so far, meeting them and making that connection.
So we left Leader Lake around 9am and biked through to Omak for a leisurely coffee break at Starbucks. Yes, folks, we actually biked around asking for the starbucks because Kevin had told us there was one and we wanted to find a place where we could use the bathroom and get water and ice rather than go to one of the (many) espresso huts along the road!
A few things about Washington: Although it is called the Evergreen State, more than half of Washington is desert - and we are biking through the deserty part right now. Kevin and Monique informed us that folks who live on the Western side of the Cascades are referred to as 'Coasties'. They did not know what they, who live on the East side, were called. As may have already been suggested:) there are many big mountains in Washington. We have Wauconda and Sherman Passes to go before we say hello to some long flat stretches.
We have definitely gotten into a rhythm in our biking and are now more comfortable taking longer leisurely breaks during the day since we know our bodies and how long it takes us to bike different terrain better. We've got setting up camp and packing up camp down!
And we are also apparently about 1 day behind another fellow who is biking the Northern Tier route. He stopped for pizza at the same place yesterday and you stand out from the crowd enough when wearing padded bike shorts:)
That's all for now. Wishing all you well.
peace.
We are in Tonasket at the moment. Just had some deliciously good calzone and Cormac had a philly cheesesteak in hopes of getting enough energy in us to get us up the next hill that we are about to tackle. Our hope is to climb Wauconda pass which is 4,310 ft over about 15 miles or so. It is not as steep as the passes we've done so far but this will be three days in a row of big hills!!!
Yesterday we had a great and unexpectedly long day. After the last update in Winthrop, we headed on to Twisp, very near and then did a pretty hefty grocery shop before deciding onward with it. So we climbed Loup Loup Pass. We arrived (finally) at the campground on the other side of the pass - so after we had gotten to enjoy some 10 miles or so of 6% grade downhill - around 8:30. The sun does not set here until 9 or later this time of year, which is wonderful!
Our evening last night was lovely. We met a couple, Kevin and Monique, who are from Omak and were camping at Leader Lake (the campground) for 3 days. They offered us a whole bunch of water, which we cheerfully accepted as there was no water at the campground, and we in turn offered them some of our quite spectacular trail mix and found ourselves talking with them until late. A really honest, funny, spiritual, just nice two people. It was a highlight for Cormac and me so far, meeting them and making that connection.
So we left Leader Lake around 9am and biked through to Omak for a leisurely coffee break at Starbucks. Yes, folks, we actually biked around asking for the starbucks because Kevin had told us there was one and we wanted to find a place where we could use the bathroom and get water and ice rather than go to one of the (many) espresso huts along the road!
A few things about Washington: Although it is called the Evergreen State, more than half of Washington is desert - and we are biking through the deserty part right now. Kevin and Monique informed us that folks who live on the Western side of the Cascades are referred to as 'Coasties'. They did not know what they, who live on the East side, were called. As may have already been suggested:) there are many big mountains in Washington. We have Wauconda and Sherman Passes to go before we say hello to some long flat stretches.
We have definitely gotten into a rhythm in our biking and are now more comfortable taking longer leisurely breaks during the day since we know our bodies and how long it takes us to bike different terrain better. We've got setting up camp and packing up camp down!
And we are also apparently about 1 day behind another fellow who is biking the Northern Tier route. He stopped for pizza at the same place yesterday and you stand out from the crowd enough when wearing padded bike shorts:)
That's all for now. Wishing all you well.
peace.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Travel Day 6, Inch by Inch (Cormac)
Going up hill is hard.
My knees start hurting almost immediately, and I make lindsey promise that we can literally stop every mile for a 5 minute break. We end up stopping slightly less frequently than that, and I pump tons of advil.
We get high enough that we start seeing snow on the ground. Lindsey thinks it is beautiful, I think that it would feel really good on my knees (it does).
All in all it takes us about 6 hours to go up 18 miles (including the 5 minute break, and an hour brake close to the top).
When we finally hit the top of Washington Pass, we can feel our anxiety melt away and our patience renewed. Our blissful feelings are aided by the fact that we have to ride the breaks to do 30 MPH down the other side.
We go from worrying about our knees to worrying about our hands (breaking frequently for an hour straight causes some serious hand cramps).
We do about 20 more miles in less than an hour (stopping only to fill up our water... we finally reach potable water after 60 dry miles).
Washington pass is our most difficult climb, it is the most elevation that we will ever have to do the whole trip, and having done it with only one major argument, we decide to treat ourselves to a hotel and dinner.
We end up at Mazama country Inn, and guess what, it's barbeque night. Believe it or not, they actually have a delicious veggie option for Lindsey (roasted portabello), but for me, a ribeye steak that weighs at least a pound and a half, cooked to perfection, with a side of fresh slaw. It takes me about 40 seconds to eat the whole thing.
Everyone there is so nice, and we stock up on our sugar and salt supply, showe (oh my god we shower! and not in a camp shower)... and we fall asleep like babies on a fresh, warm bed.
My knees start hurting almost immediately, and I make lindsey promise that we can literally stop every mile for a 5 minute break. We end up stopping slightly less frequently than that, and I pump tons of advil.
We get high enough that we start seeing snow on the ground. Lindsey thinks it is beautiful, I think that it would feel really good on my knees (it does).
All in all it takes us about 6 hours to go up 18 miles (including the 5 minute break, and an hour brake close to the top).
When we finally hit the top of Washington Pass, we can feel our anxiety melt away and our patience renewed. Our blissful feelings are aided by the fact that we have to ride the breaks to do 30 MPH down the other side.
We go from worrying about our knees to worrying about our hands (breaking frequently for an hour straight causes some serious hand cramps).
We do about 20 more miles in less than an hour (stopping only to fill up our water... we finally reach potable water after 60 dry miles).
Washington pass is our most difficult climb, it is the most elevation that we will ever have to do the whole trip, and having done it with only one major argument, we decide to treat ourselves to a hotel and dinner.
We end up at Mazama country Inn, and guess what, it's barbeque night. Believe it or not, they actually have a delicious veggie option for Lindsey (roasted portabello), but for me, a ribeye steak that weighs at least a pound and a half, cooked to perfection, with a side of fresh slaw. It takes me about 40 seconds to eat the whole thing.
Everyone there is so nice, and we stock up on our sugar and salt supply, showe (oh my god we shower! and not in a camp shower)... and we fall asleep like babies on a fresh, warm bed.
Day 5 6/16/09 (Cormac)
We start seeing mountains, and things start getting sparse. We start seeing signs like 60 miles to potable water.
We had planned on camping in colonial creek, and then biking 42 miles up Washington (~5500 ft. elevation) pass the next day.
However, we find out at the Newhalem Rangers post, that it is legal to camp at trail heads and that there are plenty of trail heads heading towards Washington Pass.
We end up camping at Canyon Creek Trail head about 11 miles further up the mountain (meaning a shorter hike up the mountain the next day).
The trailhead is gorgeous and we cook dinner by the river, mixing albicore tuna, a can of tomatoes, couscous, and saizon seasoning (a descent meal, even after being spoiled by Brooks camp cooking).
We also decide to store our food in the ladies bathroom at the trailhead, afraid that we might otherwise attract bears.
Both of us sleep like logs.
We had planned on camping in colonial creek, and then biking 42 miles up Washington (~5500 ft. elevation) pass the next day.
However, we find out at the Newhalem Rangers post, that it is legal to camp at trail heads and that there are plenty of trail heads heading towards Washington Pass.
We end up camping at Canyon Creek Trail head about 11 miles further up the mountain (meaning a shorter hike up the mountain the next day).
The trailhead is gorgeous and we cook dinner by the river, mixing albicore tuna, a can of tomatoes, couscous, and saizon seasoning (a descent meal, even after being spoiled by Brooks camp cooking).
We also decide to store our food in the ladies bathroom at the trailhead, afraid that we might otherwise attract bears.
Both of us sleep like logs.
Day 4 Part 2
In Sedro Woolley we buy a little gift for Stan, the fellow who gave us a ride the day before. He had mentioned that he was about to have a grandkid, so we got him a childrens book, Blueberries for Sal (or something like that), and we finally dropped it at his fence. After about 40 miles, we are finally hitting new territory, after our set back.
We also hit Cascadian Farms (of Jam and Jelly fame) and eat the best strawberries in the world.
I notice that my skin looks a strange color, and think that I might have jaundice. After some conferring with Lindsey, it turns out that I actually have my first tan ever. We are all very excited.
We also hit Cascadian Farms (of Jam and Jelly fame) and eat the best strawberries in the world.
I notice that my skin looks a strange color, and think that I might have jaundice. After some conferring with Lindsey, it turns out that I actually have my first tan ever. We are all very excited.
A Few Notes on the Blog (From Cormac)
Pictures:
I couldn't figure out how to put pictures on the blog, so I just put them up on my facebook account. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2230915&id=34388&saved#/album.php?aid=2230915&id=34388
Writing in General:
We decided that whoever is writing the blog that day will be indicated in the title. According to my dad, it is too confusing to try and have a voice that includes both of us.
Also, I am not going to try and write rushed again. I will also post one travel day at a time, rather than all at once.
Please make comments, give advice, and send us your well wishes.
I couldn't figure out how to put pictures on the blog, so I just put them up on my facebook account. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2230915&id=34388&saved#/album.php?aid=2230915&id=34388
Writing in General:
We decided that whoever is writing the blog that day will be indicated in the title. According to my dad, it is too confusing to try and have a voice that includes both of us.
Also, I am not going to try and write rushed again. I will also post one travel day at a time, rather than all at once.
Please make comments, give advice, and send us your well wishes.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Preparation Day 1, Travel Day 1-3
Prep Day 1 6/11
Well, it took longer to get going than we thought. We finally worked out a battery charger for Lindsey's phone, got some front racks for our bikes, met Cindy's awesome boyfriend Patrick, and biked up the steepest hill in seattle (good practice). We also bought our first set of groceries (20.40 for 2 days).
Cormac also decides to cut his hair a little shorter, and makes the grave mistake of asking Lindsey to help. In the end, Cormac decides to shave his head altogether.
Travel Day 1 6/12
Yay! We're on the road.
We get started at 9:30 AM, a little later than planned and head to Mukilteo (sp?) to catch a Ferry to Whidbey Island. Lindsey gets in touch with an old friend Sarah who had just moved back home to the Island, and we met up with her and her boyfriend Tucker.
We go to Sarah's parents' house which is about the most gorgeous spot ever. Sarah and Tucker are about to get married (good luck to you guys), and her mom is growing all the flowers and a lot of the food for their wedding, and the large garden's amidst the green rolling hills makes one want to kick up their feet and relax.
We continue to north on the Island and do our first night of camping at Fort Casey.
Did you know that it costs 14$ to camp at state camp grounds? We didn't.
Anyhow, we set up our tent all by ourselves, and Cormac builds a fire and grills some toast.
We biked ~40 miles (we hadn't gotten our odometers to work yet), and we felt pretty good to get going.
Day 2, Deception Pass and Heading East
The first stop of our day is Deception Pass, which our Seattle host, Cindy, said is one of the most gorgeous places in the world. Turns out she is right.
From the long bridge that connects whidbey Island to Anacortes you can see lush islands and steep cliffs and sail boats, and man was it gorgeous. We decide to stop and have lunch.
After some hemming and hawing we decide to walk our bikes on the sidewalks over the narrow bridges, and we finally hit root 20 and start going East (and get on our maps, which start in Anacortes).
We hit some minor hills and get to a camping ground in Bayview where we meet Nolan, a Biker (motorcyclist, that is) from B.C.. Nolan likes to do short tours and hit up campgrounds to build a fire for the night. He shares his camping space with us (and a couple of beers) for free. We wish that we could have hung out longer, but after watching the sunset over the pacific (bayview is well named) we are too pooped to stay up too late).
Day 3 Things get interesting
We get an early start, and we have got flat ground ahead of us and a tail wind and we feel great. We bike down the south skagit river highway, which has a river on one side and lush hills on the other, and huge trees completely covered in moss. We feel like we are getting somewhere, we feel like this is why we are doing this, we feel like there is nowhere we would rather be. We also meet our first other cross country cyclist, Brook and her friend Hillary (who is doing the last couple of days). They give us some fantastic advice about where to stay, what roads to avoid, and just offer some general encouragement.
Shortly after this, Cormac notices a horse looking right at a bird, and it looks like they are having a conversation, when he goes to point this out to Lindsey he accidently bumps into her, and sends her off a steep shoulder. Lindsey is fine, but her bike isn't so good. Her front wheel is facing the wrong direction, and her front break is all bent up. We put the wheel back in place easily enough, but when trying to bend the brake back into place, Cormac totally snaps it in half. It turns out Aluminum is not great for bending and rebending.
Shortly after this, we are able to flag down the nicest cop in Washington, who looks up the closest bike shop, and gets their number. Sadly, they are in Burlington about 45 miles in the direction where we just came from, and it is Sunday, so there are no buses running.
Just as Cormac and Lindsey are formulating a plan to bike to Concrete (the next town east), spend the night and catch a bus the next day. Stan, he guy who owns the land with the horses that like to talk to birds (they are not his horses, but it is his land), comes out, as he is closing his fence, Cormac asks him if he happens to be going to Burlington any time today. He says no, but when he hears about our plight, he offers us the brakes right off of his bike. Sadly they are too old for us, but he happily offers to take us out to Burlington. We have to rush out there to get there before the store closes at 5 (everything closes early on Sun. around here).
Stan takes us in the little camper that is on the back of his pick-up, and we get there just in time.
Even though the bike shop is booked with repairs until the 23rd (this must be a fringe benefit of being the only bike store in at least 45 miles), they immediately take our bike. They do have to root around for brakes, and though they are worried they might not have the brakes we need, they finally find some top of the line shimanos, and pop them on, and Re-true lindsey's tire, and basically give us another tune up for free, only charging 6$ for labor (I think they felt guilty that they only had really expensive brakes to sell us).
Feeling like we should celebrate the over coming of our first accident and the overwhelming kindness showed by Stan, Lindsey and Cormac go out for a nice dinner (we invited Stan, but he had to get back). We go to Train Wreck Bar in Burlington (google this place it is awesome) where Cormac gets a bacon burger with Calamari on it (awesome) and Lindsey gets a crabcake burger. DE-LIC-IOUS. We hang out at the bar, digest, and watch the Lakers win the playoffs.
We finally get back on the road and head a few miles to Sedro Woolley (which we had already been through earlier that day, before we had to be driven all the way back to Burlington), and stop at the campsite there, where we run into non other than Brook and Hillary. They share their spot with us (Camping again for free!) and then we go to a bar, where we play a game of pool, east-bound v. west-bound (east bound wins!).
Day 4 Part 1
Hillary and Brook cook us an awesome breakfast of eggs, peppers and garlic on bagels (with ham for Cormac) and we take them out for a cup of coffee before heading on our way. (my time is up on the public computer so I have to go, will finish later).
Well, it took longer to get going than we thought. We finally worked out a battery charger for Lindsey's phone, got some front racks for our bikes, met Cindy's awesome boyfriend Patrick, and biked up the steepest hill in seattle (good practice). We also bought our first set of groceries (20.40 for 2 days).
Cormac also decides to cut his hair a little shorter, and makes the grave mistake of asking Lindsey to help. In the end, Cormac decides to shave his head altogether.
Travel Day 1 6/12
Yay! We're on the road.
We get started at 9:30 AM, a little later than planned and head to Mukilteo (sp?) to catch a Ferry to Whidbey Island. Lindsey gets in touch with an old friend Sarah who had just moved back home to the Island, and we met up with her and her boyfriend Tucker.
We go to Sarah's parents' house which is about the most gorgeous spot ever. Sarah and Tucker are about to get married (good luck to you guys), and her mom is growing all the flowers and a lot of the food for their wedding, and the large garden's amidst the green rolling hills makes one want to kick up their feet and relax.
We continue to north on the Island and do our first night of camping at Fort Casey.
Did you know that it costs 14$ to camp at state camp grounds? We didn't.
Anyhow, we set up our tent all by ourselves, and Cormac builds a fire and grills some toast.
We biked ~40 miles (we hadn't gotten our odometers to work yet), and we felt pretty good to get going.
Day 2, Deception Pass and Heading East
The first stop of our day is Deception Pass, which our Seattle host, Cindy, said is one of the most gorgeous places in the world. Turns out she is right.
From the long bridge that connects whidbey Island to Anacortes you can see lush islands and steep cliffs and sail boats, and man was it gorgeous. We decide to stop and have lunch.
After some hemming and hawing we decide to walk our bikes on the sidewalks over the narrow bridges, and we finally hit root 20 and start going East (and get on our maps, which start in Anacortes).
We hit some minor hills and get to a camping ground in Bayview where we meet Nolan, a Biker (motorcyclist, that is) from B.C.. Nolan likes to do short tours and hit up campgrounds to build a fire for the night. He shares his camping space with us (and a couple of beers) for free. We wish that we could have hung out longer, but after watching the sunset over the pacific (bayview is well named) we are too pooped to stay up too late).
Day 3 Things get interesting
We get an early start, and we have got flat ground ahead of us and a tail wind and we feel great. We bike down the south skagit river highway, which has a river on one side and lush hills on the other, and huge trees completely covered in moss. We feel like we are getting somewhere, we feel like this is why we are doing this, we feel like there is nowhere we would rather be. We also meet our first other cross country cyclist, Brook and her friend Hillary (who is doing the last couple of days). They give us some fantastic advice about where to stay, what roads to avoid, and just offer some general encouragement.
Shortly after this, Cormac notices a horse looking right at a bird, and it looks like they are having a conversation, when he goes to point this out to Lindsey he accidently bumps into her, and sends her off a steep shoulder. Lindsey is fine, but her bike isn't so good. Her front wheel is facing the wrong direction, and her front break is all bent up. We put the wheel back in place easily enough, but when trying to bend the brake back into place, Cormac totally snaps it in half. It turns out Aluminum is not great for bending and rebending.
Shortly after this, we are able to flag down the nicest cop in Washington, who looks up the closest bike shop, and gets their number. Sadly, they are in Burlington about 45 miles in the direction where we just came from, and it is Sunday, so there are no buses running.
Just as Cormac and Lindsey are formulating a plan to bike to Concrete (the next town east), spend the night and catch a bus the next day. Stan, he guy who owns the land with the horses that like to talk to birds (they are not his horses, but it is his land), comes out, as he is closing his fence, Cormac asks him if he happens to be going to Burlington any time today. He says no, but when he hears about our plight, he offers us the brakes right off of his bike. Sadly they are too old for us, but he happily offers to take us out to Burlington. We have to rush out there to get there before the store closes at 5 (everything closes early on Sun. around here).
Stan takes us in the little camper that is on the back of his pick-up, and we get there just in time.
Even though the bike shop is booked with repairs until the 23rd (this must be a fringe benefit of being the only bike store in at least 45 miles), they immediately take our bike. They do have to root around for brakes, and though they are worried they might not have the brakes we need, they finally find some top of the line shimanos, and pop them on, and Re-true lindsey's tire, and basically give us another tune up for free, only charging 6$ for labor (I think they felt guilty that they only had really expensive brakes to sell us).
Feeling like we should celebrate the over coming of our first accident and the overwhelming kindness showed by Stan, Lindsey and Cormac go out for a nice dinner (we invited Stan, but he had to get back). We go to Train Wreck Bar in Burlington (google this place it is awesome) where Cormac gets a bacon burger with Calamari on it (awesome) and Lindsey gets a crabcake burger. DE-LIC-IOUS. We hang out at the bar, digest, and watch the Lakers win the playoffs.
We finally get back on the road and head a few miles to Sedro Woolley (which we had already been through earlier that day, before we had to be driven all the way back to Burlington), and stop at the campsite there, where we run into non other than Brook and Hillary. They share their spot with us (Camping again for free!) and then we go to a bar, where we play a game of pool, east-bound v. west-bound (east bound wins!).
Day 4 Part 1
Hillary and Brook cook us an awesome breakfast of eggs, peppers and garlic on bagels (with ham for Cormac) and we take them out for a cup of coffee before heading on our way. (my time is up on the public computer so I have to go, will finish later).
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Day 1: People are awesome
We woke up at 4 in the morning in salem, got a ride to the airport from bob (thanks so much Bob!), said a long prayer that they would ship our bike box, and our insanely packed sleeping bags and tent (imagine two sleeping bags and a tent wrapped in trash bags and tape).
We then flew, in about 8 hrs, what it will take us the rest of the summer to bike.
As some of you know, Cormac took a pretty big leap of faith and got his bike off of Craigslist in Seattle. We found this bike because it is the exact same color and model of Lindsey's bike, and we had sent him a picture of Lindsey on the bike. He in turn, offered to meet us at the airport with the bike. This kind of kindness was a little suspect, even for we who have a pretty great faith in human beings. But, there Ed was, with his adorable daughter, waiting at our baggage claim, with my bike (which was in far better shape than we ever could have hoped). Thank you so much ed, may your kindness and trustworthiness return to you 100 fold.
Alas, we did encounter a couple of snags. First and foremost. I lost my phone. Second, we found that the charger that we thought would work for Lindsey's phone (which hooks it up to our solar/crank radio, and juices the phone up) does not actually fit.
So there we are in the airport, without Cindy's number (the person who we are staying with in Seattle's number--we didn't have the # because it was in my phone) and with Lindsey's phone quickly running out of Juice. We try to remain calm and un-anxious.
Our plans to bike to cindy's (we at least have her adress and biking directions) are foiled by the fact that I can't replace the pedals on my new bike (they require cleats that i dont have). The people at the baggage claim kindly lend me what tools they have, but without a long crescent wrench we are out of luck. So we take a taxi to the bike store that cindy recommended (wrightbrotherscycleworks.com), having gotten their adress out of the yellow pages. The cabi is about the nicest guy in the world, and doesnt charge us extra though we initially gave him the wrong adress. Seeing as he took us off the meter, he also gives us a brief tour of Seattle, where he has been cabbying for years. He drops us off, at which point we are still unaware of the level of kindness this man is capable of.
We go to the bikestore and drop off our bike, they say they can get to it by tomorrow, but the good word that the owner gives us, after discoursing on Cormac's namesake (google Cormac's encyclopedia, it's really cool), they figure they can fit us in.
We walk around town, have lunch, try to figure out where the Verizon store is, and just generally chill. We also try to figure out how to get in touch with Cindy. We have will (thank you will) leave a facebook message to call Lindsey's phone.
We find that the Verizon store is a bit of a walk, so we go to see if we can leave our bags at the bike store. While Lindsey goes into the bike store, the cabby, who had dropped us off about 2 hrs ago at the bike store, pulls up, and beckons Cormac over. It turns out, we had left 120$ in the cab by accident, and the next rider had found it, and given it to him. He came all the way back to the bike store (he is a cabby that works at the airport which is about 20 miles away) to give us our money. Cormac gives him an enormous thank you, and says "God Bless." The man smiles and hands Cormac a blank CD, but shyly says not to look at it until he is gone. After he drives off, Cormac flips looks at the CD, and finds that it is a recording of him singing the Q'aran.
It turns out that the people at the bike store are already done with Lindsey's bike, and Lindsey is discovering that she is short of cash, just as Cormac walks in with an enormous grin on his face. Everyone is very happy and moved at the bike store. Long conversations about our trip and the kindness of strangers ensues.
We get ready to bike to the verizon store, and spend a frustratingly long time figuring out how to work our panniers. Lindsey finally figures out how to get them to stay on, and we struggle through seattle rush hour traffic to the Verizon store, where we discover that any new phone we would get would not fit the charging adapter that plugs into our solar/crank radio. Everyone is very nice there, though, and gives us water. We decide to high tail it back to Cindy's (still not having gotten in touch with her) before it gets dark.
She is, very happily home, and also seems to have become a bike expert since the last time we hung out. She is very helpful, and we go out for Gelato. Her apartment is great, her street is great, and she is great. We talk about how to get to Anacortes (that is where our bike maps start), and Cormac and her shoot the stuff regarding their time at Tassajara together.
Cormac and Lindsey then crash like a T conducter using their cell phones.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)