Barbara and her husband,
Dave Curtis (Class of 1963) "Kewpie of the Month
May & June 2006"
began their bike trek
July 5, 2007 on the
Northern
Tier Route across the United States starting in
Anacortes, Washington
and finishing in Freeport, Maine. (4099 miles
- July 5 - September 30)
This was Barb's third
bike trip across the USA and Dave's first and
www.kewpie.net
followed this event! The trek began!
Latest Upate from
Dave or from Barb
& Pictures - "Back
Home!"
(August
10, 2007)(Slide
Show completed October 13, 2007)
In 2006
Dave
spent 198 days, from March to October hiking the 2,175 mile, Appalacian
Trail.
Dave
& Barb are now hiking the PCT from Mexico to Canada in 2008
So have you got the idea that I am having a bad day. My brand new tire and tube went flat just outside Middlebury. Then in Middlebury, I went down for the first time since I was a kid. Blood is currently going down my left leg from the knee to the ankle. I have a nice case of road rash on my left elbow. And both hands hurt so that I cannot grip the handlebars. We are in a motel for tonight. If we can do as we plan tomorrow, we will be almost out of VT by tomorrow night and in a warm showers home. Oh, we are on our last map set. We have 2 more states after VT. There are only 376 miles of trail to go.
A few personal messages.
Terri J. did you run out of gas? Tell me the Cubs aren't going to
be in the playoffs instead of the Cardinals. Matt, MU is now 10-0
when I am out on my adventures. Should I never come home? Susan,
Thanks. We are on it. Dave O. If you can have only one
win, boy did you get it right. Val and Michael thank you. The
Methodists in two small towns in NY thank you very much. Pam M.
You and the boys are awesome, thank you. Dan, thank you for the knee
update. I assume the other issue is ancient history? Take care.
Basically, we are well and close to the end (one way or another).
We are very near the Missouri
River and it looks just as muddy up here!
And, there is a wind factor out
here to consider. To all those who tell me
it is best to travel west to
east because of "prevailing winds" being from
that directioin I would say that
may be true at 10,000 feet, but six feet
from the ground it ain't necessarily
so. There are many forces that
determine the wind direction
and speed at ground level......topography,
temperature, cloud cover, sunlight,
season, and thermal dynamics beyond my
comprehension. The wind
blows where it will and sometimes out on the
prairie seems to be swirling
and coming from all directions at once. A tail
wind is awesome, a headwind an
obstacle to cheerful cycling.
About insects: We had a
discussion about which is more annoying, mosquitos
or biting flies: The mosquitos
swarm around, sing in your ear, carry bird
flu, and leave a welt that itches.
The biting flies zoom in, take a bite,
and zoom off, but the bite hurts
and you don't feel it coming!
Then, two days ago we went through
several miles that had swarms of
beautiful little yellow butterflies
perching on purple Hebe
bloosoms.....(purple? gold?
GO KEWPIES!) and they were delightful to
observe.
We had a "small world" episode
in Malta. We were keeping cool in the
library and I struck up a convesation
with another cyclist (west bound) from
Hollland. A woman about
my age overheard some of it and after he went on
his way asked us some questions
avbout our endeavor. When we are asked
where we are from I usually reply,
"The Kansas City area," but this was not
enough information and she asked
further, so when I told her "Warrensburg,"
she s told me she had nine brothers
and one of them had lived in Warrensburg
until he retired from the University
and lived on West South St........His
name? Jim Sylwester.
Of course, we know Jim and Kathy (she passed away
last winter) and their sons Kevin
and Bradley. Kevin and Matt were in the
same class from first grade,
graduated togehter and remain friends, and will
be together at Tom Adam' wedding
tomorrow in Jefferson City. I was Kevin's
Den Mother in Cubs. So,
we got an invitation for ice cream and to meet the
rest of her family and see pictures
of Kevin's brand new baby boy.
She also insisted that while in
Malta we must visit one of their attractions
and I am so glad we did!
This part of the country being an old ocean bottom
and acted upon by glaciers and
other phenomena is prime dinosaur
bone/remains county. In
Malta is a Palentologists' Field Station where
research is being conducted upon
one of the world's most unuisual finds.
Dubbed "Leonardo" is a young
dinosaur unearthed in 2000 (see Newsweek mag
from sometime in that year) that
rather than fossilized was mummified by
whatever circumstances ended
his life. The remains still have skin, stomach
contents (28 species of plants)
and internal organs for research. They are
doing MRI and CAT scans, have
determined that it has a "craw" full of rocks
for grinding which indicates
more related to birds than
reptiles..................cool
stuff. In the labratory the guide taught us
how the diggers tell bone from
rock. They put their tounge on it (YUCK???)
and if they get a mouth full
of sand it is a rock. If the tounge sticks to
it, it is bone. I never
knew that!
We have decided to take a rest
day before heading to Minot. There are some
scenic wonders we'd like to visit
south of here so are debating about
whether to explore now or come
back sometime with a car
Old Drum
Fri 8/3/2007 10:23 AM
For many years science has wondered
about many mysteries. Among those are
the origin of the universe, which
came first the chicken or the egg, and of
course why did the dinosaurs
go extinct. Old Drum has now discovered the
answer to one of these great
mysteries. I know why the dinosaurs are
extinct. Did you know that
Montana is the location of one of the major
areas in the world for the discovery
of dinosaur bones? In fact Old Drum
and BJ had the opportunity to
wish a “dinosaur field station” in Malta, MT
this past week. There we
watched dinosaur experts work on piecing bones
back together. We heard
their guesses as to the specific cause of death of
a dinosaur. We viewed several
major finds, including Leonardo the duck
billed young dinosaur who was
discovered mummified near Malta. He is one of
only two mummified dinosaurs
found in the world and he is by far the most
intact as 90% of his body remains.
He is a major clue to speculation that
most dinosaurs were not related
to our current reptiles, but to our current
birds. For example, he
has no scales. His hide is smooth under his chin.
He has a craw. They are
preparing to give him a CAT scan and an MRI to
determine if he has a 2 or 4
chamber heart. They suspect 4 and that he was
warm blooded.
Now enough of that information.
Did you know that Indians used to stampede
the buffalo over cliffs in Montana
to kill them and use everything for the
Indians’ existence?
It is with those above facts and
one more personally observed bit of
information that brought me to
the absolute conclusion that DINOSAURS WENT
EXTINCT BECAUSE OF A MASS SUICIDE.
Yes, the all ran to those cliffs that
the Indians used to kill buffalo
and jumped off. Why you ask? Well, if
you had to put up with the mosquitos
here, you would jump too. For my AT
hiking family, New Jersey was
nothing compared to this area. One fellow
reported that a band of mosquitos
attacked his pickup truck and tried to
break the windows to get at him.
Folks, I’ve heard they are big in
Minnesota. I’ve been in
the Everglades when they completely covered a tent
so that it seemed night time
in daylight. But nothing compares to the
quantity and ferocity of the
Montana mosquitos from Chinook to Glasgow. The
dinosaurs just couldn’t take
it anymore and jumped. There you have a
scientific mystery solved.
We are tired. We are resting
now in Williston, North Dakota. We traveled
500 miles this past week.
With the exception of one day, we never had a
tail wind. Most of the
time the wind was either in our face or across or it
was still. Some days were
mostly up. Some days were more down. We faced
no huge climbs, but we did climb
a lot. The prairie is beautiful in its own
way. We have seen some
strange sights. We think we saw pelicans. Can that
be so? We saw a small bird
with a long neck, like a heron only very small,
sitting on a telephone line.
We’ve seen lots of cattle and horses, a few
mule deer, a jack rabbit and
lots of road kill. We’ve been on several
different Indian reservations.
We have been to some very friendly towns,
some very poor beaten down towns,
and some scary towns. We have seen the
puzzling. I thought it
was odd on a prior Montana visit to see the
combination business “Grandma’s
Family Dining and Casino”, “Beer, Gas, Milk
and Casino. This time I
add to the list the business that was labeled
“Broasted Chicken and Laundromat.”
My favorite was “Winery and Truck Wash.”
You don’t get that combination
business in Missouri very much.
I love your notes of support.
Let me know if you need any prayers. I have
time. For the number cruchers,
we are in state 4 of 11 plus one Canadian
Provence. We are slightly
more that 1/3 done now at 1400 miles. Last I
have a contest for you.
I have now gone 310 miles without a flat tire. No
entry fee nor prize money here,
but see who can guess the closest to the
mileage between my last flat
tire and my next one. Hint: don’t guess less
than 310, I’ve already done that.
Take care,
Old Drum
Mon
7/30/2007 4:24 PM
Here are some more photos for
the web site. Thanks for everything. I
really look forward to seeing
you guys this fall.
Old Drum
David Curtis
Appalachia Trail
Through Hiker 2006f
View these mpegs:
Dave's
behind
Watchin'
The River Flow
As to details on the trip, today
is our longest ride yet (74 and we aren’t
through yet). We are now
on our third adventure cycling map set of 11 or
12. We are now over 900
miles and will pass 1000 tomorrow. We are now out
of the mountains. We went
over Marias Pass yesterday. That is our last
western pass. We won’t
have any passes in the east. They call them
notches. On the AT, I learned
that down south they are gaps. They are all
the same. Marias Pass is
also our only cross of the Continental Divide. We
are now out of timber country
for a long time. It is just flat or rolling
prairie country now. This
brings a new element to me, WIND.
I thought I had hit wind in Washington,
but not like the last two days.
We’ve had it in our face (pedal
hard down hill and hit only 7 mph). We’ve
had it across us (this afternoon).
Wow! Just try to hold yourself steady so
you don’t fall over. We’ve
had it at our back. This morning I hit 43 mph
on a long slight downhill with
the wind at my back. It is scary, but it is
fun.
Just a few personal notes.
Tom F, composting is nothing out here like it is
in the Burg. Disco, how
were the numbers? Taryn, Parker and Trey, I love
you. Mapman and Robin,
I am still thinking about you being in the
Wilderness. Wow!
Dow, get back up there. My retirement depends on you.
Pam, I changed another flat today.
BJ and I are starting to get like a
NASCAR pit crew. We are
just making those short rest breaks. Susan T, way
to go on raising money for the
scholarship. $8000 now. Any MPRA folks want
to join in?
Take care all,
Old Drum
Monday, 2007-07-23 - 3:18 PM
I’m getting just a bit unnerved
here about the Northwest preoccupation with
DEATH. As we rode through
Washington, they post big billboards declaring
how many deer have been killed
on the roads by automobiles during the last
12 months. The last total
I read was over 15,000. Now that is a big number
for just one state. I think
we kill far less than that in Missouri during
all our deer hunting seasons
put together (could someone from SNR confirm
that). Well, you cannot
imagine how much road kill one passes. I don’t
notice as much via car as I do
on a bike. The aroma is so much more
prominent on bike. Well
now, I get to Montana. Every mile there seems to
be a steel pole about 3 feet
high that has a white cross on top of the pole.
This is the special program
of some guy from the Whitefish area (that is
where we are today taking a zero).
He has the whole state marked every
place that someone has died via
a car accident. Now I hope most of those
weren’t riding bikes, but it
does cause one to think (glad I got that broken
rear view mirror replaced).
That brings us to riding conditions. Sometimes
(not much) were are bike paths.
These are great. No cars to worry about,
only an occasional biker passing
by. Next there are roads that are remote.
These have hardly any traffic.
Most of the drivers give you plenty of room
as they pass. Next is the
very busy state or US highway with wide
shoulders. These roads
are a bit unnerving because of their speed in
passing, but I really do feel
secure on those shoulders. Finally, there are
roads like Montana 93 (that was
yesterday). First, there are the logging
trucks (the worst are pulling
a second trailer). They don’t slow down.
They don’t move over much.
And they seem to suck you to the middle of the
road with the vacuum as you pass.
Next are the big trucks, but they aren’t
nearly as bad as the big RV’s.
You only hope that it is an experienced
driver and not someone who is
renting the rig and driving it for the first
time. Finally, there is
the issue of the shoulder. WHAT SHOULDER!!!!!
Montana 93 had NO SHOULDER.
Oh, I exaggerate. Half the time they have 6 to
12 “. However, the other
half of the time they have a white stripe painted
on the edge. That drops
immediately off 6” to loose sand and gravel on no
pavement. Sometimes you
are on the edge of a steep hill or cliff. Some of
the drivers seem to think you
have no business there and they take the
middle of the lane. Get
the picture.
Oh, well. We are fine, enjoying
this beautiful country and having a great
time. We did 360 miles
the last 6 days as our legs are getting stronger.
We are now over 740 total.
Tomorrow we should be in Glacier National Park
and plan to spend some time there.
Now a few quick personal notes.
Melissa, great call yesterday.
John Cunningham. Pam, a flat per state.
Trickster and What are you crazy
pulling dogs!!!! Thank you Charley.
Thanks to all for the messages
of support.
Drum
cycling motto: "I may be
slow, but I don't quit."
Thursday 2007-07-19 12:50 AM
Each day BJ and I name the day
in our journals. Yesterday was named Dog
Days. Here is the story.
This was the day of encounters with dogs. First
there was the house just outside
of Collville, WA. There were at least 20
Pit Bull each chained to its
own dog house. Any one of those dogs was
enough to finish me off for good.
The chains appeared to be log chains and
I wasn’t quite sure that they
were strong enough. Needless to say. We both
got extra training at pedaling
at the highest of gears.
A little later we passed through
our first Indian Reservation. I don’t know
if it a cultural distinction
or just coincidence, but none of their dogs
were either penned or on leashes.
For most they just barked or slept on
their porches. However,
3 very large black dogs came charging at us. Old
Drum went into his well-known
bear tactic and yelled at the first snarling
charging dog to approach him.
“Get back in your yard,” he yelled and two
lowered their tails and went
cowering back to the yard. BJ used her water
bottle on the third dog and he
also joined the others.
The final attack came when two
mixed breed dogs came charging down a steep
driveway at Old Drum and BJ as
they were off their bikes taking a snack
break. This surprise attack
came before speedy cycling or yelling could
help. The first dog leaped
right on BJ. Even today she is still damp from
all the licking and tail wagging
he gave her.
Well it is a dog’s life on the
bike trail. Today we crossed our first state
line into Idaho. Shortly
thereafter we crossed back into Washington (so the
trail curves). Minutes
later we left Washington for the final time and took
our photos at the Welcome to
Idaho sign. Today was a 70+ mile day for the
first time. We are healthy,
still speaking and looking forward to tomorrows
adventure.
Old Drum
Received from Dave: Mon 7/16/2007
4:13 PM
Just a quick note from Colville,
WA. We are through with the Washington passes. One climb out
of this town for about 20 miles (but not nearly as steep as the passes)
and then things go relatively flat through about ½ of Idaho.
Montana will be up and down, but not with the climbs like WA. Our last
climb was a real trip. First I misread the map and thought a 10 mile
section was an 18. Therefore we did 15 miles of 3-4 mile per hour
climb and were shocked to be at the top 8 miles early. HOWEVER, 6
miles into the climb we hit a 16 mile stretch of road construction.
Most of the entire downhill steep part of the descent was in roto-milled
road. Think riding down a waffle. It was Shake, Rattle and
Roll. What a trip. Time limited on computers so I’ll quit now.
Old Drum
Received from Dave: Wed 7/14/2007 4:23
PM
Greetings from Republic, WA,
BJ and I are getting stronger.
It is still very hot. Each day is over 100. Yesterday the weather
was a Red Warning. That means we were having a thunder storm with lightning
and thunder, but no rain. It is 2 p.m. on Saturday and we have already
completed the 4th of our 5 big climbs in WA. Tomorrow we will climb the
last pass. Sherman Pass is the highest pass in the State. It
is really exciting to do the downhills. I have never experienced
anything like coasting at these speeds for so many miles. Today it
was a 14 mile coast. When the cross winds blow, it is tough to just
maintain controll. I have had some mechanical problems. I fell the other
day (first road rash) and broke my rearview mirror off. I have also
had 3 flats in less than 24 hours. BJ and I tried our best to repair
the tube, but our efforts never seemed to hold very long. Jan (a
new friend from Holland who is riding from Anacortes to Calgary) fixed
my flat last night and so far so good. I have to make it 50 more
miles to a bike shop for a new tube. Jan and his wife are riding
together. He did the Trans Am the same year BJ (1999) did.
They never met, but at times were only a week apart. For my AT friends,
he stayed in Damascus and met Model T. My library time is up.
Blessing to you all,
Old Drum
Received from Dave: Wed 7/11/2007 5:33
PM
Dear Friends,
This comes to you from Twisp,
WA. My prior longest bike ride was 35 miles. I now have 210 miles
so far. That is not that big of a deal, but when we climbed over
Washington Pass it was a 44 mile day. It took us 12 hours to bike
the first 35 miles and then 20 minutes to bike the next 7 miles.
Why are the down hills over so fast? Trail magic exists out here
as well as the AT. We were hosted in Anacortes, WA by Art and Lexie
Shotwell in their lovely home before we had our first real day on last
Friday July 6. We did
the traditional dip in Pugent
Sound on the 5th and then rode to their home 3 miles away. Art even
joined us for the first 15 miles on a gorgeous morning. Lots of lush
green. Farms growing potatoes in bloom with snow capped Mount Baker
in the background. Life had been camping each night until a motel
(SHOWER) last night in Winthrop. We are calling today a NERO (AT
term for nearly zero miles on the trail). We moved today to the home
of Scot Domergue who is taking us to a local pub for jazz tonight.
This is
different from hiking.
I think it may get easier, but for now climbing desert mountains in 95-100
degree heat at 3 mph is tough. People are very nice. Motorcyclists
stopped and gave us water on our climb over Mount Washington (the first
climb is the biggest on the trip). A park employee in Rockport gave
us air for a tire. A real estate office in Winthrop let us send and
receive a fax. Pray for us to handle this heat.
Don’t forget www.kewpie.net/BarbDave.html
to see photos and get notes you
may have missed from Charley
Blackmore’s Hickman Kewpie Alum website.
On to Maine. The Adventure Cycling route was mostly a repeat of Vermont, only steeper! At the visitors center we acquired a state road map and a cycling suitability map. We decided that we would research our own route on roads with shoulders!!!!!!!!! We also decided that we've already been to Bar Harbor and that since there are many seaport towns with salt water lapping at the shore, we would make it the closest one. That was Freeport. So on Sunday morning we turned south on a lovely road with good pavement and shoulder.
About 9:30 am we stopped at a convenience store for a snack and break. As we were leaving David said something to me about being careful where I rode as I would not want to get a flat. I assumed he meant that since we were nearing the end of the journey, I would like to keep the record where it stands. If you will recall, I had my first flat on this bicycle (which I estimate has about 25,000 miles on it) in Minot ND. We headed on down the road and in a couple of blocks came to a United Methodist Church with 10:00 a.m. services so we stopped to worship. An hour later when we came out and as I started to ride I noticed my back tire felt funny. I looked down, and IT WAS FLAT!!!!!! The name of the town??? MINOT, Maine!!!! Go figure.
On Sunday evening September 30 we rode into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in Casco Bay near Freeport, ME. The ride is done. From Sea to Shining Sea and the end is always bittersweet for me. I don't want to end and I can't wait to be home.
Trail Magic/Trail Angel :: When we were in Washington we encountered Steve and Marcia Fuller on their tandem heading in the oppostite direction. We visited by the side of the road for maybe fifteen minutes. I gave them our card. A few weeks later came an e-mail from Steve telling me they lived in Maine near the trail and would be a resource for us when we got that far. We had been in contact. Steve drove all the way from his home to Freeport to be our 'High Five" welcoming committee. He took us to dinner to celebrate and listened and shared as we began processing the expereince.
The next day
(Monday) we rode into Portland and began making the arrangements to get
the bikes, gear, and us back to the 'burg. Preparing for re-entry..................bjc
Most of you will have read David's report written a few hours later. Let's just say he had a mini-meltdown! He had a tough afternoon. The riding conditions in Vermont were a difficult adjustment after New York. The roads that led away from the ferry had not seen much change since 1759! They are paved, but not well maintained. They are narrow, no shoulder, and full of the one thing that crushes the spirit out of cycling quicker than anything -- VEHICLE TRAFFIC! He had a flat. In Brockton NY he had bought a new tire, liner, and tube and was hoping to finish the trip without another one. (We've lost count of his total number) Then, as we were near the campus of Middlebury College, he took a spill that tore the skin off his knee and elbow. He came close to being ready to rent a car! The good news is that usually when one is ready to quit there is no car rental place by the side of the road.
The next day I had my meltdown. We left East Middlebury headed for South Strafford fifty eight miles of difficult road. The plan was to stay with "Warm Showers" hosts Barb and Wally Smith at their home. (Very interesting cyclists, by the way. Wrote a book on Cycling Cuba and are on their way to New Zealand in December). We had all the usual Vermont difficulties plus unseasonably warm/humid weather and a huge climb late in the day with a 12% grade. About half way up our hostess happened by on her way to her grandson's soccer match telling us to make ourselves at home and she'd be home later. I asked if she would take our panniers with her so we could continue climbing without the load. Good idea, right? Well ......she was barely out of sight when the sky clouded up and a heavy, hard rain began to fall. She had our rain gear in her car and we were soaked in no time! I could not see five feet in front of my wheel, my glasses and mirror steamed up, the pavement was still rough, the traffic still coming! And, the temperature plummeted, so I went from sweating to freezing in about 10 minutes. We managed to reach the top and there was one of those signs with a semi headed downhill and it said 13% grade down. By the time I reached the Smith's door I was humming that great Charles Wesley hymn, "And Are We Yet Alive."
But, as a veteran of two other long tours, I know this is part of the process. I know before I leave home that there will be obstacles. I know it will require great discipline to continue and I also know that the joys make it worthwhile!!!!!!! What I have learned is that as one covers external geography one is dealing with internal geography all the while. I know that it is in overcoming the obstacles that the experience becomes meaningful and rich.
Eleanor Roosevelt "Do something every day that scares you."
Her husband "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself"
Helen Keller 'Life is either a great adventure or nothing at all"
me "Real life
is one little step outside where you are comfortable"
A few words on terrain::: From about twenty miles west of Fargo until we left the Erie Canal at Palmyra NY we were on essentially flat ground. That was maybe 1400 miles! I only used the 'granny gear' a half dozen times! But, things are different now. We have elevation charts and will cllimb Sugar Loaf Mountain on Wednesday if all goes as planned.
A few words on water::: We are traveling near water most of the days. Along Lake Erie, the Nigara River, then the canal, then Lake Ontario, then MOose River..........It is that way for most of the route. Last week the "Fulton Chain of Lakes" in Adirondack Park. Today it is Lake Champlain. We learned that the Adirondack Park is the largest State Park in the world. Any three National parks would fit into it with land to spare. This was a surprise to us! Yellowstone is pretty big. Imaging putting two more with it!
Now for a report
on my recent nightmare. In my dream we were riding along and a large
log truck hit David. As I was craddling his dying body by the side
of the road, I thought of the un-reconciled bank statements that are piling
up (four accounts x four months = 16!!!) Then, I flashed to a scene
of me sitting in front of a computer upon which was an
Excell spreadsheet
that was completely blank. Piles of boxes of receipts, bills, and
unopened mail from Waddell and Reed were all around me. I then realized
I was in Paula Elliot's office and she was sitting across the desk waiting
for me to fill in the spread sheet so she coud do our taxes. Then,
I flashed back to the side of the highway and began yelling at the truck
driver who had hit David, "It should have been me!!! It should have
been me!!! How could you kill him???? NO! NO! NO!"
And then I woke up. I reached out to be sure he was still breathing
and I am riding behind him the rest of the way to Bar Harbor! bjc
Sun 9/16/2007 11:51 AM
FROM BARBARA
September 15, 2007
My last communication
was from Michigan. Since then we have crossed the St Clair River
by ferry into Ontario and enjoyed several incredibly beautiful days of
cycling along the shore of Lake Erie. I am amazed at the shades of
blue in the waters. St Clair, which flows from Lake Huron, is the
color of the water in the water rides at Silver Dollar City and Six flags!
The shoreline is much less developed than I had anticpated. The first half was more truck farms and orchards full of ripening produce. The terrain is flat and the riding pure joy. We have been blessed with delightful weather.
The second half of the route in Ontario put us on a very quiet road with the lake lapping the shoreline about fifty feet to our right and cottages on the left. The cottages line up facing the water, the next one cuter than the last. The gardens are full of flowers and, for the majority, the maintenance carefully done. We came into Fort Erie on a paved Rails to Trails path called The Friendship Trail and it was ....well, cycling heaven!
We have enjoyed a brief visit with David's cousin Valerie and her husband Michael. They have been most generous in allowing us to "re-group" by using their washing machine, recieving some mail, and taking us to a discount store for some supplies not readily available at the convenience stores usually available in the very small towns.
We are looking
forward to our first visit to Niagra Falls and to the adventures ahead
as we cycle New York. A young touring cyclist named Will that we
met two days ago suggested we would be pleasantly surprised by the riding
conditions there.
In Midland we
enjoyed the "Tridge," a 'bridge' that goes in three directions
where two rivers
join and designed for walkers. Midland was the
flower-i-est
small town I have ever seen. Victoria BC had a lot of flowers,
but Midland,
wow! Pots and planters everywhere. A visual feast. I
wonder
if Midwest
Living Magazine has ever done a feature?
Also, we expereinced
their Saturday morning Farmer's market. I only
remember being
in two other markets that were as exciting and
sensory.....Phoenix
AZ ( a much larger city) and once when a friend and I
went off of
the beaten path and wandered into a part of Jerusalem not full
of tourists.
INCREDIBLE!!!! And, I had the same feeling in Midland. The
colors were
spectacular and artfully combined. Bushels of tomatoes; peppers
of yellow,
red and green; eggplant, potato heaps, bright orange carrots,
herbs, baked
goods, and the flowers.................piles of cut flowers of
every description
and color. And, the peaches!! They smelled wonderful.
Plus, the smell
of dill and basil, earth, yeast, all mingled together. It
was WON-DER-FUL!!!!
Who could not be happy in the presence of such bountiful beauty?
I hated leaving.
We ate a delicious Amish made cinnamon roll and tucked some
peaches and
vegetables in our panniers for later and off we rode. Some
September I
hope to come back.
Barbara's version of the Barrell incident:
We were nearing
the end of several miles of construction. We were on the
part where
the new asphalt had been laid and smoothed, but no lines had been
painted.
I was on the 8 foot shoulder that was as smooth as silk and so new
no one had
had time to break a beer bottle on it. Construction barrels were
there about
every fifty feet to separate the shoulder from the traffic lane
and I was feeling
rather secure. I had just crossed a little bridge and
was going up
a short hill. I had noticed a sign that promised an
outfitter's
store at the top and to the right and since we are looking for a
fuel cannister
for the jet boil, I thought David might like to stop so I was
going very
slowly and watching for him in my rear view mirror. Just as I
glanced down
at the map which I carry on my handle bars I felt the sudden
"clunk" then
"wobble, clunk" and was quite surprised to look up just as the
barrell toppled
and I struggled to keep the bike upright making a quick
decision to
peddle rather than disconnect from my peddles. The good news is
that I did
not fall over and instead the barrell did. The bad news is that
there were
two men sitting on a porch who saw the whole thing and were
laughing their
heads off!!!!
And, I was
rather aggravated with myself as I had made a vow to pay better
attention to
the road after that nasty incident in Fargo.
We are spending
yet another day in Mackinaw City as it poured rain all day.
It is a lovely
place if a bit "touristy". We came in Saturday morning at
sunrise along
miles of beach -- need I say BEAUTIFUL??? We spent two nights
in very crowded
campgrounds before we decided to get a motel for some peace
and quiet.
It was then that we discovered that the motel rates (even on the
beach front
places) are so inexpensive we should have been here the whole
time.
I guess since Michigan's economy is so depressed it is reflected in
the prices
here. We spent Sunday on the Island and enjoyed the entire
expereince,
including a ferry ride that was like a ride at an amusement park
since the water
was so whipped by the wind. Cars not allowed at all. Just
horses and
bikes. We rode the perimeter, had a delightful lunch.
But, too
many peoiple.
Earlier in the day we worshipped at St Ignace UMC and it was
a very unique
experience. The sanctuary was filled to capacity, but only
about forty
were members and the rest visitors. The music was awesome and
the singing
glorious. bjc
Last year when
David was hiking the AT he was in need of respite in MA and
was rescued
by the daughter of a friend (Anne Fetherman) and her family.
Alice, Chip,
and their boys took really good care of him and then put him
back out on
the trail all rested, cleaned up, well fed, and restored. He
says it made
all the difference.
Well, this journey
has also been blessed with such hospitality. Lesley and
Wayne Sauls
and their girls (of Eau Claire, WI) took us in during a wet and
rainy spell
and gave us five days of pampering. We were welcomed to both
their home
and to their lake house at Round Lake where we enjoyed various
boating adventures
between rain drops. Lesley fed us vegetables, fruit, and
whole grains
and we played Scrabble and Mexican Train. I was able to do a
bit of re-stock
of some items one cannot find in convenience stores.
David’s cousin
Judy from Oconomowac drove 7 hours round trip to have
breakfast with
us. I was able to make an appointment for some acupuncture
so my neck
moves full range again and we slept really well! It was a really
good time and
a good rest from August 18 through the morning of August 24.
It was really
HARD to leave on that morning!!!!!!
I have benefited
from Lesley’s hospitality before as Lesley and her Mom (my
friend Glenda)
were the ones to meet Pam and me at Dog Beach in San Diego in
March of 2004.
Lesley had rented a truck to move our bicycles and took
video tape
of our arrival. I will always be grateful for their presence on
the beach to
celebrate with us and can still see Glenda, who had come from
work, standing
in the surf in her business suit and heels.
I guess the
advice I would give is to be really nice to your friends’
children!
We have not
had a tailwind since Havre MT. Now that we are near the lakes
we are told
that wind direction depends upon what is happening over the
water.
On Monday was
David's birthday. We rode into Nelma late in the afternoon.
It had rained
in the morning and we had gotten a very late start from
Boulder Junction.
We found lodging at Santa's Motel so David got a shower
for his birthday!
It was very nice and right next door to a restaurant that
featured $1.50
burgers on Monday. Life is good.
Well, Tuesday
dawned with a storm, but we only delayed about an hour and
left in the
rain. We called it "Moose Weather" as it was foggy and
drizzling,
but warm. It cleared off in about and hour and we rode all day
quite comfortably
until..........about 4:30 p.m. just as we were three miles
from our destination
campground in Hardwood the sky truned dark and we had
just enough
time to scoot into the rather large picnic shelter at St
Joseph's Catholic
Church in Foster City. It had walls on two sides and the
roof did not
leak. We just stayed put all safe and dry. "City" is way too
generous a
word for this town which consists of two churches and a
restaurant
which was closed!
We have traveled
through several towns that claim “Capital” status. Bloomer
WI is the “Rope
Jump Capital of the World.” Mercer claims to be the “Loon
Capital.”
Glidden is the “Black Bear Capital.” In Glidden there is a
trophy bear
stuffed and in a display case downtown that weighed a record 675
pounds.
That is the only bear we are sure we spotted, though there was a
moment just
outside a town dump that I think I saw one way ahead crossing
the road.
We have not seen Elk or Moose. We see deer almost every day.
Sand Hill cranes,
an assortment of coyote, fox, and other creatures keep it
interesting.
Also, the air really does smell heavily of evergreen – just
like those
little scented trees people hang in their cars.
Our next challenge
is to manage the Labor Day holiday which will no doubt
bring traffic
to the area. We will be in and around Mackinaw City and will
take the ferry
to Mackinac Island.
FROM BARBARA:
Hello from Minnesota.
Today is our 41st wedding anniversary. We bought new
shirts that
match! The only other time we ever did this was at the "Field
of Dreams"
in Iowa.
Boy, it sure
has been an eventful few days and I want to tell you all about
it if the librarian
will allow me the time!
This is a GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS Minot:
First we go
back to Minot. The GOOD NEWS is that we had dinner with Katy
Fitzpatrick.
Katy is a delightful young woman who graduated from
Warrensburg
High School soon after Elizabeth (class of '91). The connection
is that Katy's
brother Mike (who we learned now sports "PhD." after his name
and uis a professor)
and Matt were on the same wrestling team at WHS.
Elizabeth,
David, Katy, and her mom Joan were all avid "Boosters" of the
wrestlers and
worked tournaments together. Katy's parents let us know that
she was in
Minot and put us in touch. It was wonderful to see her.
Now the Minot
BAD NEWS. I purchased my green Cannondale T700 touring bike
(its name is
Kairos) in 1999. I am on my third coast to coast ride and have
used it for
several thousand miles of daily riding. I estimate it has
20,000 miles
on it. It came with Continental top touring 2000 tires and I
am on my fourth
or fifth set and was unhappy to learn when I bought the last
ones that they
are discontinued! I had my first ever flat tire on this bike
on Minot's
version of Noland road about 4:00 p.m. on August 6. I was riding
along about
20 mph and hit something on the pavement and poof! --it was
flat.
GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS Fargo:
GOOD NEWS --On
Thursday morning leaving Binford we met three delightful
young men touring
west from Boston/NewYork to Anacortes. They were making a
documentary
about the expereince and we are on tape as we visited. I
introduced
myself, "HI! I'm Barbara" and David said, "Hi! I'm Old Drum"
and the first
young man said, "Hey I met you on the AT last year when I was
section hiking
just south of MT Mouselocke at a watering spot!" They then
reminisced
about the AT days. What a small world. Look on their web site
for pictures
-- www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/NT07
On Saturday
on our way into Fargo we met Dom and Amie who were from New
Jersey riding
to celebrate their honeymoon to Portland, OR. They mentioned
the three young
men that they had heard about and hoped to catch up with.
(side note:
we have met other touring cyclists almost every day. Maybe
even more than
I met on the Trans Am in 1999)
We continued
on our way to Fargo that morning. We had arranged a "Warm
Showers" stay
with a college student who is a member and had done the
Southern Tier
a year ago. Get this: he had planned to spend most of the
weekend in
Minneapolis so he put his keys in a hiding place, gave us
directions
to his apartment with instructions to "make ourselves at home."
And, we did,
but that was later.
Just a few miles
out of Fargo on county road 81 we were sailing along
glorioulsy
in the sunshine about 18 mph with a tailwind on flat, straight,
paved road.
I was right behind David and enjoying the scenery.
THE BAD NEWS
-- I "took a header" as they say in cycling circles. Like I
said, the last
thing I remember, I was enjoying the scenery so I did not see
the split in
the pavement that was about three inches wide, three inches
deep and 2
feet long, but it caught my front wheel and I was thrown over the
handle bars.
The next thing I knew David was trying to take off my helmet,
telling me
to stay down, (I didn't), and waving traffic around where my bike
and I were
sprawled across the lane. OUCH!!!!
THE GOOD NEWS:
I must have inherited my 'bouncing' ability from my mom.
When she was
87 (in 2004) she was in a rush to get to a hair appointment and
fell down half
a flight of stairs and broke -- her thumb! It took longer
for the skin
to heal than the bone and she was playing the piano again in
about eight
weeks. Then, not too long after that she was on a step stool to
get something
off her closet shelf and pulled the entire chest of drawers
over emptying
all the drawers and the contents. She did need some help
getting out
from under that one and putting all the stuff back, but she was
OK.
THE BAD NEWS
I guess I was unconscious for a minute or so (my helmet had
three cracks
in it) and with the wind knocked out of me it took a bit of
effort to get
on my feet, but I did. I landed mostly on my left side.
There is a
goose egg on my left knee and some road rash, a bruise on the
top and the
bottom of my left arm just below the elbow, a bruise on my left
hip, some road
rash in two places on my left shoulder, and my shoulder and
neck a bit
sore. But, even though a really nice man stopped to offer us a
ride, since
the bike was rideable, we rode on to the "Warm Showers" lodging.
I took
a nap. David went to the store and we fixed dinner. Then, I
took
a bath, put
ice on all the broken places, took some OTC painkillers and
slept for 14
hours. On Sunday we took a rest day.
THE GOOD NEWS I'm alive and able to go on!
We decided to go to the bike shop to have the bike gone over.
BAD NEWS --
In the fall I scratched up the new Zora gear shifters that Sam
had installed
right before we left home -- by the way Sam, I LOVE them, they
work beautifully,
and you are 'the man' when it comes to making my bike
smile!
Otherwise, the
bike came through OK. It needed to have a couple of spokes
trued and a
couple of other adjustments, but basically OK.
As we were on
our way into the bike shop parking lot a young woman
(helmetless)
rode up and said, "Hey, I just saw your picture on the web just
this morning!"
Her name is Jewell. She is a college student and a waitress
at a cafe in
downtown Fargo (metro area 200,000 population) and had met the
three young
men when she waited on them a few days before. They had given
her their card
so she looked them up on the web and found ....us! So, she
went to the
bike shop with us and we visited. After hearing my story about
my fall, she
also bought a helmet!!!! Who knows, that may save her life
someday!
MORE GOOD NEWS
While we were in the bike shop, our "Warm Showers" host and
his girlfriend
Emma called and arranged to meet us there. How kind! Not
only was he
generous to allow two complete strangers stay in his home, but
wanted to meet
us before we left the area. And, what a delightful couple!
We had a wonderful
visit at the bike shop before David and I bid them all
farewell and
headed east into Minnesota.
Shortly before we hit cooperstown we saw cross
country cyclists Barbara and Dave Curtis. They are on their way to Bar
Harbor. We had a great time talking with them on the side of the road.
Dave mentioned he thru hiked the AT last summer and used the name 'The
Old Drum' I stared at him for a few minutes and then remembered meeting
him last summer in the mountains of New Hampshire when I was out backpacking
on the AT last year. We had talked about cycling the transam and I remember
he mentioned his wife had ridden cross country twice before. What a small
world. Anyways they gave us lots of great advice about the road up ahead.
Seeing them really made us excited about riding through North Dakota. They
had nothing but great things to say, which is what we really needed to
hear. (From:
crazyguyonabike.com) Friday August 10, 2007
Back
We rode 62 miles
this overcast morning from Rugby to Lake Minnewaukan. Then
ONLY possible
place for services along this low traffic route of rolling
fields of Spring
wheat, sunflowers, corn, and clover dotted with little
glacial lakes
(filled iwth ducks and wading birds) was Esmond where we had
pancakes about
10:30 a.m.
The last two
hours we were in a gentle rain, but with an unpredicted
tailwind.
I realized something about my preference for travel at such a
slow pace immersed
in the environ. Just as we were passing a huge field of
maturing corn
-- acres and acres --for the first time I noticed the musical
sound of the
rain as it fell onto the leaves of the corn plants. If I had
been in a car
I would never have heard this delightful sound. I love being
immersed in
the air and color of a place and having the time to notice
little details.
Yesterday it was Damsel and Dragon flies, the day before
grasshoppers.
I enjoy the wildflowers at the edge of the highway and
observing the
heliantropic choreography of a field of sunflowers. Also,
seeing new
species of birds.....still can't get over Pelicans in North
Dakota!
I want it in front of me, in back of me, to my right, to my left,
over me and
under me! If I was only to see it from a car window, I'd just
as soon watch
a travel video on TV from my loveseat at 319 West Gay St. I
take off my
shoes and socks at some point each day and put my feet on the
bare ground.
Sleeping in the tent also puts me in close contact with the
ground of a
place. I like spotting a water tower ten miles out and looking
forward to
entering the little town.
I am so grateful
to Benjamin Franklin for the concept of the public lending
library and
the opportunity to visit and enjoy the hospitality of them all
along the route.
Some are large, beautifully designed, professionally
spiffy; some
feel like stepping into someone's personal living room, but
almost without
fail the people staffing them are eager to share information,
resources,
help, advice. LOVE IT!!!!!
About our route.
If you have looked at the web page that Charley Balckmore
so generously
manages you will see the official Northern Tier Route. What
you need to
know is that instead of going south of the Great Lakes through
Chicago and
Ohio, we elected to purchase maps from two other map sets and
travel from
Minneapolis north east through Wisconsin, cross the northern
penninsula
of Michigan, come south at Macinaw Island and go across Michigan
to Port Huron.
We will enter Ontario and peddle the northern shore of Lake
Erie coming
to Niagra Falls on the Canadian side, enter New York and pick up
the NOrthern
Tier Route again there.
We are very
near the Missouri River and it looks just as muddy up here!
And, there
is a wind factor out here to consider. To all those who tell me
it is best
to travel west to east because of "prevailing winds" being from
that directioin
I would say that may be true at 10,000 feet, but six feet
from the ground
it ain't necessarily so. There are many forces that
determine the
wind direction and speed at ground level......topography,
temperature,
cloud cover, sunlight, season, and thermal dynamics beyond my
comprehension.
The wind blows where it will and sometimes out on the
prairie seems
to be swirling and coming from all directions at once. A tail
wind is awesome,
a headwind an obstacle to cheerful cycling.
About insects:
We had a discussion about which is more annoying, mosquitos
or biting flies:
The mosquitos swarm around, sing in your ear, carry bird
flu, and leave
a welt that itches. The biting flies zoom in, take a bite,
and zoom off,
but the bite hurts and you don't feel it coming!
Then, two days
ago we went through several miles that had swarms of
beautiful little
yellow butterflies perching on purple Hebe
bloosoms.....(purple?
gold? GO KEWPIES!) and they were delightful to
observe.
We had a "small
world" episode in Malta. We were keeping cool in the
library and
I struck up a convesation with another cyclist (west bound) from
Hollland.
A woman about my age overheard some of it and after he went on
his way asked
us some questions avbout our endeavor. When we are asked
where we are
from I usually reply, "The Kansas City area," but this was not
enough information
and she asked further, so when I told her "Warrensburg,"
she s told
me she had nine brothers and one of them had lived in Warrensburg
until he retired
from the University and lived on West South St........His
name?
Jim Sylwester. Of course, we know Jim and Kathy (she passed away
last winter)
and their sons Kevin and Bradley. Kevin and Matt were in the
same class
from first grade, graduated togehter and remain friends, and will
be together
at Tom Adam' wedding tomorrow in Jefferson City. I was Kevin's
Den Mother
in Cubs. So, we got an invitation for ice cream and to meet the
rest of her
family and see pictures of Kevin's brand new baby boy.
She also insisted
that while in Malta we must visit one of their attractions
and I am so
glad we did! This part of the country being an old ocean bottom
and acted upon
by glaciers and other phenomena is prime dinosaur
bone/remains
county. In Malta is a Palentologists' Field Station where
research is
being conducted upon one of the world's most unuisual finds.
Dubbed "Leonardo"
is a young dinosaur unearthed in 2000 (see Newsweek mag
from sometime
in that year) that rather than fossilized was mummified by
whatever circumstances
ended his life. The remains still have skin, stomach
contents (28
species of plants) and internal organs for research. They are
doing MRI and
CAT scans, have determined that it has a "craw" full of rocks
for grinding
which indicates more related to birds than
reptiles..................cool
stuff. In the labratory the guide taught us
how the diggers
tell bone from rock. They put their tounge on it (YUCK???)
and if they
get a mouth full of sand it is a rock. If the tounge sticks to
it, it is bone.
I never knew that!
We have decided
to take a rest day before heading to Minot. There are some
scenic wonders
we'd like to visit south of here so are debating about
whether to
explore now or come back sometime with a car.
Mon 7/30/2007 3:50 PM
We are in Malta
MT. Got here about noon from Chinook. Left
about 6 am
and
made good time
as it was overcast which made it cooler. We took
time for a
meal in Dodson.
While in the restaurant we heard two persons
discussing
the
possibility
of it being 104 or 105 degrees today so decided 68
miles would
be enough and
Malta became our destination. Then, as we rode
into Malta
an
east wind came
up for the last three miles -- the kind that
makes you put
your head down
and nose to the white line and kills your knees.
Definitely
time to stop.
The landscape
out here is the kind that makes you long for a
crossroad so
there will
be a "Stop" sign -- that means (except at high noon)
there will
be a spot of
shade!!!
Last night we
camped in the city park in Chinook. I never
thought to
ask
the pool hours.
Turns out they open at six pm and close at
nine.
I was SO
glad when that
blaring radio was finally turned off!
It was a lovely
little park with grass that would make a lawn
person proud
-- like a lush
green carpet. One of the lessons about camping
in the west
is NEVER put
a tent down on green grass. If the grass is green
I guarantee
there are sprinklers!
I learned this in Idaho in 1999. One
morning I woke
up in the wee
dark hours and needed to use the ladies room. I
crawled out
of my bivy
tent and just as I stood up pst - pst - pst PSALSH! I
got a full
dose of very
cold water right in my face. That is something one
does not
forget!
So, we were on the crisp brown fringes, but still
managed to
get a
few sprinkles
this morning just before the alarm was set to go
off.
Fri 7/27/2007 5:20 PM
Our last communication
was on Monday from Whitefish. On Tuesday we rode
into Glacier
National Park. What a treat.....it has been on my 'list' for
years and never
in my wildest imagination did I think I would get to cycle
to it.
Now, having expereinced it I must add it to my list of "every person
MUST see" places
along with the Grand Canyon (for perspective
and humility)
and Yellowstone (the ICU of nature's healing places). We
stayed two
nights at Apgar campground. They have paved cycling paths
connecting
everything we needed.
There is basically
only one road through this huge park on the American side
and it goes
over Logan Pass. It is called "Going to the Sun Road" and was
built between
1918 and 1930 when cars were fewer and smaller.
It is an engineering
marvel. It is curvy and narrow and clings to the side
of a
steep glacial mountain for 12 miles. Cyclists are prohibited from
using it between
11 and 4 every day and the ticket is $75.00. (we met a guy
who decided
to try it during the forbidden period)
Fortunately
for us, three weeks ago when it was opened for the season, a
free shuttle
service was also begun to try to reduce the traffic....the lot
at the top
is often full even with the service. This gave us a chance to
get a look
at it before attempting to cycle it. After seeing it, we decided
definitely
to take the St Marias Alternate ruoute. We enjoyed shuttling to
the pass twice.
Took a hike. Enjoyed the scenery. Indescribable and unlike
anything I
have ever seen before in the mountain department. Beautiful.
So, yesterday
we cycled from West Glacier to East Glacier on the alternate.
It was a very
good ride through "The Great Bear Wilderness'
(don't panic,
Mom, no bears appeared). And, today to Shelby MT about 75
miles.
The minute we
left East Glacier this morning everything dramatically
changed.
We are now in the rolling prairie hills of cattle and wheat -- saw
a grain elevator
in the first 10 miles -- with the trees and beautiful hues
of the mountains
rapidly disappearing in my rear view mirror.
We began cycling
this am at 6 and had a perfect morning -- slightly
overcast, cool,
tailwind, wide shoulder, smooth pavement, flat or downhill,
little traffic.
It did not
last. First, the wind turned around, then we lost our cloud
cover, the
pavement turned to new chip and seal with little round pebbles,
the shoulder
narrowed eventually to about 12", and before we were done had
to go through
three construction zones with flagmen!!!!! We changed out
David's back
tube by the side of the road because it made a funny noise that
sounded like
a blow-out. And, it got hot! But the first couple of hours
were awesome
and we were still in Shelby by 3:15 p.m.
At East Glacier
we stayed in our first Hostel of the trip. Have no idea
where we will
be tonight yet. Shelby has lots of options.
We've had Huckleberry
ice cream, pie, and shakes........a lot like
blueberries.
One of these
days I am going to figure out how to get some pictures attached
to my messages.
Mon 7/23/2007 4:54 PM
Hello all.....today
is a 'zero' day in Whitefish Montana. At
least for once
we are someplace you might have heard of.
This comes
with tourist population, noise, and traffic, but
also means
a cell phone connection and food options beyond
convenience
stores.
We are lodged
in a campground that is more designed for motor
homes than
tents, but has clean and will lit facilities. We are grateful.
So many communities
in the west have made accommodations for
cyclists.
Bike lanes abound and most bridges have accommodations for
pedestrians
and cyclists.
We also had
a very positive experience at the bike shop here.
David had some
issues that we think they were able to resolve efficiently
and inexpensively.
He has now had three flats -- one in each state.
The Idaho puncture
was severe enough to require a boot (this has nothing
to do with
footwear). I am so grateful for all the programs and sharing
of advice and
experience from my buddies in the Warrensburg Bicycle Club over
the years.
I have learned so much from them! We were able to successfully
repair it and
have only used one "phone a friend" on the trip so far.
(thanks, Tom!)
I have decided
that if God has a color, it is green. It is almost impossible to
describe to
you the incredible experience of the environment one has at
four MPH in
such a remote and lovely place of trees and mountains and rivers
and lakes.
Oh, and wildflowers. There are aboutfourteen different varieties
of evergreens,
plus aspen, birch, and on and on. We were along the
Kootenai River
for a couple of days. I had never heard of it before and it is
fabulous.
We camped on its banks at River Bend Campground and watched
a helicopter
that had a bucket attached make trip after trip to lower the bucket
into the water
and scoop it up to carry over the mountain and dump on a
forest fire.
The river water color is a deep teal.
Once, day before
yesterday, we paused early in the morning just to catch our
breath on the
road above Koocanusa Lake and (except for our breathing) was
absolutely
silent. Not a sound! Not a sound! For several minutes
and we
just stood
there in awe until finally a fly buzzed by us. It is glorious!
I am so grateful
also for all the libraries that are hospitable to us. They
mostly are
lovely, busy, interesting places that give one a feel for the
communities
they serve. I am purchasing a paperback for fifty cents that I
cannot pass
up. Joseph Chilton Pearce's The Crack In The Cosmic Egg. I
have read two
more recent of his books so will try his earlier work. It
should be worth
the weight! I'll let you know.
And, remember,
you can keep track of us at this web site.......
www.kewpie.net/BarbDave.html
bjc
Wed 7/18/2007 11:08 PM
HEY!
Today we crossed our first state line and rode off the first of 12
maps.
We are in Sandpoint ID. It is a very noisy little tourist town.
We
went to the
bike shop and had a bite at Arby's. Today we did 70 miles!
We
mailed the
first map to Melissa......it is done.
We had planned
to camp here, but the camp ground was $38.00 to put down one
very small
tent. (We ususally pay between 7 and 12 and many time it is free
for cyclists.)
So, we decided that a motel would not be much more and
afforded us
all the advantages I wrote about in Colville. Oh, and I 've
thought of
a couple more.......some motels include breakfast and there is
one more very
gratifying thing one can do in a motel room:
make...............................coffee!!!!!
Please note:
I decided to put my phone on 'vacation' since D. and I are
together all
the time and can only get a signal once in a while anyway. If
you need tp
talk, please call his cell number 660-238-2624. It is a local
call in Warresnburg
area.
cycling motto:
"I may be slow, but I don't quit."
Mon 7/16/2007 4:55 PM
Hello to all!!
We are taking our first “Zero” day in Colville on July 16.
That means
one day that we do not get on the bike at all. We walked to the
grocery sotre
and the library. We left Anacortes on July 5 so have had ten
days of cycling,
though there were a couple of really short days in Winthorp
and Twisp.
I am writing to you from the Colville Public library which is
rather full
in the middle of the day. The vibes are of very intense
concentration
and focused attention.
Our mileage
so far is 380. That is only an average of 38 miles per day
which seasoned
cyclists might think wimpy. Trust me when I say that it is
satisfactory.
If one considers that it is Old Drum’s first tour, we have
climbed 5 mountain
passes, endured truly record heat, and are at the
beginning of
the journey just “getting our legs,” it works for me.
We are staying
at a little mom and pop motel here in Colville. It is old
and the room
is small, but it is clean and the hospitality toward cyclists
is warm.
This is our third time to stay in a motel as we camp most of the
time.
Here is how we get the most of a motel room when touring: Take a
shower that
includes a shampoo. Put conditioner on your hair that has been
smushed eight
hours per day in dry desert air under your helmet, but do not
rinse.
Then fill the tub and get out your “Scotch Brite.” Take a bath and
really scrub
to get off all the road dust that is mixed with sun block and
sweat, drain
the tub, rinse it, and re-fill with the hottest water endurable
for a luxurious
soak of road weary muscles. Stay in the hot water a long
time.
Then rinse your well-conditioned hair. Dry off and put on your
“going to dinner”
tee shirt and shorts. Fill the tub again, adding laundry
detergent and
throw in all cycling clothes beginning with the lighter colors
first.
Wash and rinse and wring your laundry. On the desert it will dry
in
less than an
hour hung on the lawn chair outside. If your room has a
microwave and
fridge go to the closest grocery store and get dinner,
breakfast,
and snacks for the next day on the road. Fix dinner. Tonight
we
will have frozen
Lasagne and carrots. Breakfast was OJ, Raisin Bran. Lunch
was potato
salad and baked beans. Snacks are apples, bananas, and granola
bars.
(We do try to maintain a good diet so have salads at each restaurant)
Get
a restful night’s sleep in air conditioned comfort in a real bed.
What a treat!
I love cycling
in the west!!!!!! The sky is big, the views spectacular,
dogs are with
their owners, and the flora and fauna unfamiliar enough that I
take notice……of
course at 4 mph on sees things differently. On Wednesday we
should be in
Sandpoint ID…..off our first map segment and across our first
state line.
Hope all is
well with you………
Subject: Republic Washington
Date: Sat,
14 Jul 2007 15:58:19 -0500
This morning
we crossed over Wauconda Pass at 11:55 a.m. We left Tonasket
at 5:30 a.m.
hoping to beat this incredible heat (15-20 degrees above
normal!).
It worked. We got to Republic around 1:oo p.m. and it was
actually a
good ride. The grades were less steep than the two earlier
passes.
We have one more in the Cascades -- Sherman Pass.
In Tonasket
we were dealing with some tube issues on David's bike. He had a
flat the day
before in Omak. I patched it -- three separate times -- but
could not get
it to hold. It was our last tube and we are 100 miles from
the next bike
shop. Naturally hardware stores and farm supply places do not
carry the type
we need. But, the good news is that a trail angel appeared
in the form
of Jan (pronounced Yawn) from Holland cycling from Anacortes to
Calgary, British
Columbia ( I think) with his wife or friend Jet (Pronounced
"Yet").
I was using the self stick quick patches. He had the more old
fashioned ones
that use rubber cement. It worked and we managed well today
and believe
we will make the bike shop.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 5:59
PM
from BJC
Wow! It sure is hot here today.
We have been taking a rest day in Winthrop
and Twisp. I am so glad that
I joined "Warm Showers," an Internet cyclists hosting
group, as we have been very hospitably
welcomed by other members.
Last Sunday we were on the road from
Rockport toward Newhalem.
Traffic was heavy as it was a weekend
following the 4th. We were on a very
quiet back road for the morning,
but the afternoon on Hwy 20, a main road
from the National Park and lots of
vacationers were headed home. (ask me
sometime about the 'near death experience'
I had in the tunnel). David was
riding far enough ahead of me that
he could not hear me calling as we
passed a turn that I thought we should
be making right before a bridge over the
Skagit River. Our destination
was the very last campground before a sixty five
mile stretch with absolutely no services
and, frankly, I was exhausted from
the heat, hills, and traffic,
so I did not want to miss it. Once I caught up with
him, we turned around and went back
down the road. It turned out that it was
not the destination campground, but
one not even on the maps. We just happened
upon it, right there when we needed
it. It was right on the river, had ten spaces,
a vacancy, a very clean state of
the art out house (complete with a full Purell
dispenser!). That, my friends,
is trail magic!!!!!! Next we inquired of a family camping
there about water. We were
out. We carry purification equipment, but would rather
not use it if at all possible.
There was not running water at the campground.
However, the campers were going
home the next morning and had two gallons to
spare so gave it to us! Those,
my freinds, are trail angels!!!!! It happens all the time.
Every need is met beyond our expectation.
David's cycling has impressed me.
He learned a lot on the trail. If
you would have told me ten years ago that we would
be doing this trip together I would
have fallen over laughing.
More later, bjc
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It is time for the next adventure. I think this will be easier, if only because I know I have an “I won’t quit attitude now.” When BJ met me at the base of Mount Katahdin in Maine, I told her that I now wanted to bicycle with her across America (for those who don’t know BJ, she has done this twice. In 1999 she biked from Yorktown, VA to Florence, OR. In 2004, she biked with a good friend of hers, Pam Culbertson, from St. Augustine, FL to San Diego, CA). She was somewhat skeptical, but now seems to be excited for something easy. For the last 5 weeks, we have removed the back walls of our 100 + year old home in a battle of water and carpenter ants. We did all the labor to put it back and we are tired. So naturally a 4300 mile bike ride seems like a little rest. On June 25 we are heading to Portland, OR to visit an aunt of mine. We then move on to Seattle to visit a cousin that I spent a lot of time with when I was growing up. Finally, we go to Puyallup (sp?) to visit a long time friend from years ago in Warrensburg who has remained very close to us. He will take us to Anacortis (sp?), WA shortly after July 4 where we will head east to Bar Harbor, ME.
I may have bored you to death on the hike. If I was interesting at all, I cannot promise that my account of this adventure will be as interesting. I intend to send emails like I did last year. If you want to get them, do nothing. If you don’t, hit reply and say TAKE ME OFF THAT LIST. You won’t hurt my feelings. This trip may also have a website to follow things as well.
Finally, last year I took pledges from my fellow park and recreation professionals on the miles I would make on the AT. Since I made it all the way (I told them I thought I’d quit in 30 miles), I raised over $2000 in scholarships for recreation majors at my almamater, University of Missouri. We gave 2 $1000 scholarships this spring and had a little left over to go to my next effort.
PLEASE, NO PRESSURE. NO ONE NEEDS TO DO THIS. However, I am taking pledges on this trip. The mileage is unknown, but it should be over 4000 and under 5000. I have two passions. One is those recreation students at Mizzou. The other is Habitat for Humanity in Johnson County (that is where I live). If you want to support either of those causes, let me know the amount of your pledge. One penny means $40 to $50. I will take fractions of pennies too. For my park and recreation friends, this scholarship is being named for my friend Randy Vessel who is retiring this summer. He has meant so much to that department. I have over $3000 in pledges on the Vessel scholarship so far if I make it all the way. NO ONE NEEDS TO DO THIS.
Take care. The next group email will come from the trail some time after July 4.
Next year?? Maybe I will hike the Pacific Crest Trail or maybe join Little Wing where she left off on the AT in New Hampshire. That would mean Maine, the Mahoosuc Notch, the 100 mile Wilderness, Wildcat Cliff and Mount Katahdin again. That was hard, but oh so beautiful. BJ and I are also talking of riding our bikes in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in the next year or two. Xenon, I would love to see you and meet Nancy.
Love to
all,
Old Drum
and BJ
Northern
Tier Route - Adventure Cycling Association
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We are
underway. Here we are at the traditional dipping of our tires in Puget
Sound at Anacortes, WA on July 5, 2007.
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