Yes, I did it! I arrived in Savannah on Sunday afternoon. I made up my own route for the last leg of the journey, so I was able to finish a day earlier than anticipated. I left Myrtle Beach and rode 108 miles to Monck's Corner, SC. From there, I rode 80 miles to Point South, SC and then I did the last 80 or so miles to Abbey and Joey's house in Savannah. And that is that, folks. Thanks all for reading! If you want to see photos, email (karliceran@yahoo.com) or call me.
Love, Peace, and Bicycle Grease!
Monday, August 6, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Beaches, Music, and Great People!
I left Southport, NC sometime after 9 am on Tuesday, and Paul rode out with me for a few miles, but then I was on my own. What a strange feeling that was after having ridden with others for so long. I found myself habitually pointing out potholes, sewer grates, and road debris as if there were actually somebody behind me who needed to know to avoid those road hazards! I truly discovered how much I miss Paul when I crossed into South Carolina and there was nobody there to take a picture of me doing something silly at the state line. I didn't even try for a self-portrait; it would never measure up.
Regardless, I am glad that I decided to continue to ride on rather than driving from Wilmington. I arrived in Myrtle Beach (about 12 miles off my route) around two in the afternoon. I went to Pat and Tom's house, but nobody was home, so the housekeeper let me in and showed me to my room. Shortly thereafter, their son-in-law, Colin, arrived home with one of his daughters, Audrey. Colin drew me a map to the beach, which is less than one mile from the house (eight tenths of a mile, to be exact). I then walked to the beach and went for a barefoot jog in the sand, and then I stood around in the warm waters of the Atlantic for a while. By the time I walked back, stretched, and showered, Pat had arrived home. I later got to meet the rest of the family as well: Pat and Tom's daughter and Colin's wife, Kristi and their two other children, Maggie and Sadie.
Pat cooked an amazing dinner of spaghetti with marinara, homemade pesto with basil fresh from the garden, portabellas, and a carrot shitake salad. It was so delicious, and believe me, I ate my fill! After dinner, Pat disappeared, and returned with a basket of fresh picked figs from the tree out back. My absolute favorite fruit! I was wide-eyed and overjoyed, for certain! During dinner, I learned that Colin is earning his MFA in Creative Non-fiction, and he's also really into philosophy, so we had plenty to talk about. We also got to talking about music, and as they live practically across the street from the House of Blues, I happened to notice that Pete Yorn was playing that night as I rode into town. They encouraged me to go, so again, wide-eyed and overjoyed, I jumped into Pat's convertible and she dropped me off at the show. For only $24, I got one crappy band, one decent band, and one amazing band...not a bad deal.
It was hardly a crowded house, so I got an awesome spot, general admission standing, right up front center stage. The first band, 16 Frames really bit the big one. If it weren't for the gorgeous bright-eyed bassist with curly blonde flowing locks, I would've have fallen asleep standing up out of sheer boredom. The band just wasn't tight, and they did nothing musically innovative. To make matters worse, the lead singer thought he was the coolest person in the world even though his voice was not impressive at all. Apparently they have a myspace page (who doesn't these days?), so you can check out their crappiness for yourself if you'd like.
The next band, Ben Jalen was interesting. They definitely had their shit together, and Ben had a lot of talent -- rocking the electric viola, keys, and guitars, and he had a pretty versatile voice. He was the only one in the band who looked like a normal person though. All the other guys looked like they had just walked on stage direct from the hair salon where they must have disposed of countless cans of mousse and hairspray. Also, all their rockstar clothes looked brand new, right down to their funny shiny shoes. It just felt so...contrived. Oh, and don't even get me going on the James Iha wannabe guitarist hanging out in the shadows stage left...
Finally, when Pete Yorn came out, he was so high energy (a drastic difference to when I saw him at Criminal Records last summer)! He probably had one of the best electric bassists alive -- this guy was all over that thing, and he was rolling cigarettes between songs, and then smoking them while he played and harmonized on vocals. Dude did everything with a smoke dangling from the corner of his lips -- that's talent. The rest of the band was really tight too and I was amazed at how well they pulled off four guitars on some songs. Pete played a lot of songs from musicforthemorningafter and Day I Forgot, and very few from Nightcrawler, which made me happy because I've had the hardest time getting into Nightcrawler since I purchased it back in December.
Also, at some point during the show, by strange coincidence, I met 4 people from Atlanta who had driven up for the show. They were standing behind me and I overheard someone mention Smith's Olde Bar, and so I turned around and struck up a conversation. I considered taking a ride home with them...just kidding!
The show went just past midnight, so by the time I got home, I was so tired and had such a headache that I went right to bed and slept until 8 am, having already decided to hang out in Myrtle Beach another day. I got up and ran to the beach, tore off my running shoes and ran the sand barefoot again, then readorned the shoes and ran back. After that, I spent most of the day chatting with Colin, Pat, and later, Tom, while Pat fixed me various delicious items for consumption like a berry smoothie, toast with peanut butter, roasted squash, beans, and brown rice. mmmmm mmmm! The day was taken up by more delightful conversations in philosophy as well as some talk about gender, women, and health and diet -- some of my favorite topics! It seemed like we were constantly handing each other books to peruse or writing down titles to look up. I love it! Later in the afternoon, I walked back to the beach where I sat watching the waves, and composing this blog on pen and paper to later be transferred to the computer.
I have had such a great time in Myrtle Beach, and I feel so blessed to have met this amazing family, not only for their generosity and hospitality, but also for the great conversations and exchange of knowledge. These are the kinds of people who I would love to have as friends!
Tomorrow, Tom has to go to Wilmington early, so I think he is going to drop me back on my route. Then I will ride about 110 miles that day, followed by three 75-80 mile days.
Savannah or bust!
Regardless, I am glad that I decided to continue to ride on rather than driving from Wilmington. I arrived in Myrtle Beach (about 12 miles off my route) around two in the afternoon. I went to Pat and Tom's house, but nobody was home, so the housekeeper let me in and showed me to my room. Shortly thereafter, their son-in-law, Colin, arrived home with one of his daughters, Audrey. Colin drew me a map to the beach, which is less than one mile from the house (eight tenths of a mile, to be exact). I then walked to the beach and went for a barefoot jog in the sand, and then I stood around in the warm waters of the Atlantic for a while. By the time I walked back, stretched, and showered, Pat had arrived home. I later got to meet the rest of the family as well: Pat and Tom's daughter and Colin's wife, Kristi and their two other children, Maggie and Sadie.
Pat cooked an amazing dinner of spaghetti with marinara, homemade pesto with basil fresh from the garden, portabellas, and a carrot shitake salad. It was so delicious, and believe me, I ate my fill! After dinner, Pat disappeared, and returned with a basket of fresh picked figs from the tree out back. My absolute favorite fruit! I was wide-eyed and overjoyed, for certain! During dinner, I learned that Colin is earning his MFA in Creative Non-fiction, and he's also really into philosophy, so we had plenty to talk about. We also got to talking about music, and as they live practically across the street from the House of Blues, I happened to notice that Pete Yorn was playing that night as I rode into town. They encouraged me to go, so again, wide-eyed and overjoyed, I jumped into Pat's convertible and she dropped me off at the show. For only $24, I got one crappy band, one decent band, and one amazing band...not a bad deal.
It was hardly a crowded house, so I got an awesome spot, general admission standing, right up front center stage. The first band, 16 Frames really bit the big one. If it weren't for the gorgeous bright-eyed bassist with curly blonde flowing locks, I would've have fallen asleep standing up out of sheer boredom. The band just wasn't tight, and they did nothing musically innovative. To make matters worse, the lead singer thought he was the coolest person in the world even though his voice was not impressive at all. Apparently they have a myspace page (who doesn't these days?), so you can check out their crappiness for yourself if you'd like.
The next band, Ben Jalen was interesting. They definitely had their shit together, and Ben had a lot of talent -- rocking the electric viola, keys, and guitars, and he had a pretty versatile voice. He was the only one in the band who looked like a normal person though. All the other guys looked like they had just walked on stage direct from the hair salon where they must have disposed of countless cans of mousse and hairspray. Also, all their rockstar clothes looked brand new, right down to their funny shiny shoes. It just felt so...contrived. Oh, and don't even get me going on the James Iha wannabe guitarist hanging out in the shadows stage left...
Finally, when Pete Yorn came out, he was so high energy (a drastic difference to when I saw him at Criminal Records last summer)! He probably had one of the best electric bassists alive -- this guy was all over that thing, and he was rolling cigarettes between songs, and then smoking them while he played and harmonized on vocals. Dude did everything with a smoke dangling from the corner of his lips -- that's talent. The rest of the band was really tight too and I was amazed at how well they pulled off four guitars on some songs. Pete played a lot of songs from musicforthemorningafter and Day I Forgot, and very few from Nightcrawler, which made me happy because I've had the hardest time getting into Nightcrawler since I purchased it back in December.
Also, at some point during the show, by strange coincidence, I met 4 people from Atlanta who had driven up for the show. They were standing behind me and I overheard someone mention Smith's Olde Bar, and so I turned around and struck up a conversation. I considered taking a ride home with them...just kidding!
The show went just past midnight, so by the time I got home, I was so tired and had such a headache that I went right to bed and slept until 8 am, having already decided to hang out in Myrtle Beach another day. I got up and ran to the beach, tore off my running shoes and ran the sand barefoot again, then readorned the shoes and ran back. After that, I spent most of the day chatting with Colin, Pat, and later, Tom, while Pat fixed me various delicious items for consumption like a berry smoothie, toast with peanut butter, roasted squash, beans, and brown rice. mmmmm mmmm! The day was taken up by more delightful conversations in philosophy as well as some talk about gender, women, and health and diet -- some of my favorite topics! It seemed like we were constantly handing each other books to peruse or writing down titles to look up. I love it! Later in the afternoon, I walked back to the beach where I sat watching the waves, and composing this blog on pen and paper to later be transferred to the computer.
I have had such a great time in Myrtle Beach, and I feel so blessed to have met this amazing family, not only for their generosity and hospitality, but also for the great conversations and exchange of knowledge. These are the kinds of people who I would love to have as friends!
Tomorrow, Tom has to go to Wilmington early, so I think he is going to drop me back on my route. Then I will ride about 110 miles that day, followed by three 75-80 mile days.
Savannah or bust!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Oh, if only I could stay in Wilmington...
So, Wilmington was such a cool place to hang, but I'm not supposed to tell anyone that because someone I know doesn't want a surge of people trying to move there. Actually, I probably liked Wilmington more for the company I kept while there than for the actual lure of the beaches.
To back it up a little, Paul and I got to Kitty Hawk, got a hotel, and immediately went for a swim in the Atlantic. Oh, how refreshing it was to dive into those waters! I felt like I truly accomplished what I set out to do. From Kitty Hawk, we rode on through the Outer Banks, making amazing time because it was all flat and touristy, so there wasn't much worth stopping and seeing. We did stop and check out the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which was alright and teeming with tourists. We also stopped by Jen's friend Kim's art gallery, which was awesome. I bought one of Jen's cards and talked to Kim who was so high energy and really excited to see us. By the way, Jen is Bryan's girlfriend (Bryan who stayed behind in Colorado to go to Telluride).
We arrived in Wilmington on Friday afternoon and stayed with Jen. She actually came to pick us up at a Burger King in town because we apparently rode 10 miles past her house near Wrightsville Beach when we rode all the way into downtown Wilmington. By the way, the ride to Wilmington sort of sucked because I got two flats in one day. That's more than I've had ALL trip. That puts me up to 3 flats total. It was enough to convince me to buy two new tires in Wilmington.
Jen was so cool! She took us out to dinner Friday night to this fabulous restaurant called Nikki's, where tempeh and tofu abound, and we met her friends Elizabeth, Chiaki, and Matt, who were also very very cool people.
Saturday morning, I woke at 6 and ran to the beach, walked along the ocean, and ran back. That was a great way to start the day. Then Jen introduced us to Migun, which is this heated jade massage bed system. I was immediately drawn to it, but Paul still hates it and remains skeptical. If I had the money, I would buy a Migun bed for my home...oh wait, if I had a home and if I had the money, then I would buy a Migun bed for my home. Needless to say, I made two more visits to Migun during my stay in Wilmington. We also got to hang out a lot at the local food co-op called Tidal Creek. I became a recognizable regular there in no time. Over our three and a half days in Wilmington, lots of Kombucha drinking was had, for certain. I think at some point during the day, we watched the extended version of Dances with Wolves, during which I took a 3 or 4 hour nap. On Saturday night, Elizabeth, Matt, and John came over and we ordered pizza and played "Scene It?" Women vs. Men and the women kicked ass!
On Sunday, I just hung out and did a whole lot of nothing. We rode over to the co-op and Jen bought me brunch, which was again, awesome of her! I also got to cook dinner: tempeh reubens with braised greens. Jen's friend Jim came over and he brought some delicious Pinot Grigio and seemed like a really nice guy.
On Monday, Paul and I rode with Jen to the beach and then up and down the ten mile loop to make a 20 odd mile ride. Jen was kicking our ass on her 650's! Man, I thought I was in better shape by now. Oh, but she did have aerobars and skinnier tires and she's training for the Florida Ironman...On our ride, we also happened upon Jen's sister and boyfriend who were also out for a ride. They seemed nice as well, but it's hard to really get to know someone when you're sweating out a 20mph pace on a humid morning.
Today is Tuesday and we hung out in Wilmington all day. I went for another run this morning, and then we went to Migun and checked out the other health food store in town, where Jen FINALLY let me buy her lunch. Then Jen drove us over to Paul's cousin Jill's house in Southport, from where I am composing this. We were going to ride the 20 miles to the ferry with Jen, but it started pouring down rain, and so we caught a ride with Jen.
It felt surreal to be leaving. I almost felt like I could've settled down in Wilmington for a week and then just caught a ride to Savannah, which Jen and I talked about, but the weekend she would drive me to Savannah conflicted with her volunteering at the children's triathlon, and I said, "Do it for the kids, Jen. They're more important. I can just keep pedaling." Anyway, I really had a blast with Jen and all her friends, and I hope to return for a visit sometime. And, I cannot thank Jen enough for all her generous hospitality!!!
Jill and her boyfriend Billy are very cool. We've been chatting out on the front porch, and just relaxing.
Tomorrow, I say goodbye to Paul. It will be sad; I'll really miss him. Really. Then, I will ride down to Myrtle Beach, where I will stay a night with Pat and Tom, a couple that Paul and I met on the ferry that took us off the Outer Banks to Cedar Island. They got to chatting with us, and invited me to stay at their place in their guest room right on the beach. From there, I will ride four solo days to Savannah, where I will finally hang up the bike for a while and kick it with my dear dear friends, Abbey and Joey.
Wish me well, as I brave highway 17 alone...
To back it up a little, Paul and I got to Kitty Hawk, got a hotel, and immediately went for a swim in the Atlantic. Oh, how refreshing it was to dive into those waters! I felt like I truly accomplished what I set out to do. From Kitty Hawk, we rode on through the Outer Banks, making amazing time because it was all flat and touristy, so there wasn't much worth stopping and seeing. We did stop and check out the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which was alright and teeming with tourists. We also stopped by Jen's friend Kim's art gallery, which was awesome. I bought one of Jen's cards and talked to Kim who was so high energy and really excited to see us. By the way, Jen is Bryan's girlfriend (Bryan who stayed behind in Colorado to go to Telluride).
We arrived in Wilmington on Friday afternoon and stayed with Jen. She actually came to pick us up at a Burger King in town because we apparently rode 10 miles past her house near Wrightsville Beach when we rode all the way into downtown Wilmington. By the way, the ride to Wilmington sort of sucked because I got two flats in one day. That's more than I've had ALL trip. That puts me up to 3 flats total. It was enough to convince me to buy two new tires in Wilmington.
Jen was so cool! She took us out to dinner Friday night to this fabulous restaurant called Nikki's, where tempeh and tofu abound, and we met her friends Elizabeth, Chiaki, and Matt, who were also very very cool people.
Saturday morning, I woke at 6 and ran to the beach, walked along the ocean, and ran back. That was a great way to start the day. Then Jen introduced us to Migun, which is this heated jade massage bed system. I was immediately drawn to it, but Paul still hates it and remains skeptical. If I had the money, I would buy a Migun bed for my home...oh wait, if I had a home and if I had the money, then I would buy a Migun bed for my home. Needless to say, I made two more visits to Migun during my stay in Wilmington. We also got to hang out a lot at the local food co-op called Tidal Creek. I became a recognizable regular there in no time. Over our three and a half days in Wilmington, lots of Kombucha drinking was had, for certain. I think at some point during the day, we watched the extended version of Dances with Wolves, during which I took a 3 or 4 hour nap. On Saturday night, Elizabeth, Matt, and John came over and we ordered pizza and played "Scene It?" Women vs. Men and the women kicked ass!
On Sunday, I just hung out and did a whole lot of nothing. We rode over to the co-op and Jen bought me brunch, which was again, awesome of her! I also got to cook dinner: tempeh reubens with braised greens. Jen's friend Jim came over and he brought some delicious Pinot Grigio and seemed like a really nice guy.
On Monday, Paul and I rode with Jen to the beach and then up and down the ten mile loop to make a 20 odd mile ride. Jen was kicking our ass on her 650's! Man, I thought I was in better shape by now. Oh, but she did have aerobars and skinnier tires and she's training for the Florida Ironman...On our ride, we also happened upon Jen's sister and boyfriend who were also out for a ride. They seemed nice as well, but it's hard to really get to know someone when you're sweating out a 20mph pace on a humid morning.
Today is Tuesday and we hung out in Wilmington all day. I went for another run this morning, and then we went to Migun and checked out the other health food store in town, where Jen FINALLY let me buy her lunch. Then Jen drove us over to Paul's cousin Jill's house in Southport, from where I am composing this. We were going to ride the 20 miles to the ferry with Jen, but it started pouring down rain, and so we caught a ride with Jen.
It felt surreal to be leaving. I almost felt like I could've settled down in Wilmington for a week and then just caught a ride to Savannah, which Jen and I talked about, but the weekend she would drive me to Savannah conflicted with her volunteering at the children's triathlon, and I said, "Do it for the kids, Jen. They're more important. I can just keep pedaling." Anyway, I really had a blast with Jen and all her friends, and I hope to return for a visit sometime. And, I cannot thank Jen enough for all her generous hospitality!!!
Jill and her boyfriend Billy are very cool. We've been chatting out on the front porch, and just relaxing.
Tomorrow, I say goodbye to Paul. It will be sad; I'll really miss him. Really. Then, I will ride down to Myrtle Beach, where I will stay a night with Pat and Tom, a couple that Paul and I met on the ferry that took us off the Outer Banks to Cedar Island. They got to chatting with us, and invited me to stay at their place in their guest room right on the beach. From there, I will ride four solo days to Savannah, where I will finally hang up the bike for a while and kick it with my dear dear friends, Abbey and Joey.
Wish me well, as I brave highway 17 alone...
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Jammin' and Rollin'
Wow, after enjoying a jam session of guitar, bass, banjo, and drums at Acorn, we had another jam session in Lauren's room as she and Andrea rocked out some Mirah tunes. Then Lauren and I stayed up until after midnight talking. Not super smart when you have an early morning of riding ahead of you. I still managed to get up just after 7 am, hang around Acorn for a while watching Sabrina try to stir the oil back into a 5 gallon bucket of natural peanut butter and going through last minute photo opps. Wow, it was hard to say goodbye, or maybe "see you later." I gave big hugs to Danielle and Sabrina (who are staying at Acorn for the summer and totally rock) (Thanks for the chocolate Sabrina!) and then Lauren drove me and Paul to Mineral where I gave Lauren a big hug and Paul and I hit the road.
The terrain was amazingly FLAT!!! We rode about 55 miles in no time and pulled up to the Mackey's house around 1:30pm. We are staying with the Mackey family: Carol, Clyde and their sons Isaac and Noah just north of Richmond,VA. Clyde was so so so kind and generous when he drove us into Richmond and gave us a tour of the city then took us to a rockin' health food store and paid for our purchases!!! One exciting thing is that although I was bummed to miss out on the late brunch at Acorn and Sabrina's vegan cinnamon rolls and Lauren's vegan pancakes and soysage, I was thrilled to find a vegan cinnamon roll at the health food store in Richmond. The Mackey family is so great and I am so thankful for their hospitality!
Paul and I plan to hit Kitty Hawk in the Outer Banks in just two more riding days, so it doesn't look like I'll be able to post again until I get to Wilmington, NC. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying the flat terrain and the Atlantic Ocean!
The terrain was amazingly FLAT!!! We rode about 55 miles in no time and pulled up to the Mackey's house around 1:30pm. We are staying with the Mackey family: Carol, Clyde and their sons Isaac and Noah just north of Richmond,VA. Clyde was so so so kind and generous when he drove us into Richmond and gave us a tour of the city then took us to a rockin' health food store and paid for our purchases!!! One exciting thing is that although I was bummed to miss out on the late brunch at Acorn and Sabrina's vegan cinnamon rolls and Lauren's vegan pancakes and soysage, I was thrilled to find a vegan cinnamon roll at the health food store in Richmond. The Mackey family is so great and I am so thankful for their hospitality!
Paul and I plan to hit Kitty Hawk in the Outer Banks in just two more riding days, so it doesn't look like I'll be able to post again until I get to Wilmington, NC. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying the flat terrain and the Atlantic Ocean!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
More skinny dipping, hippies, organic veggies, and more!
I'm having such a blast at Acorn that I really don't want to leave, but tomorrow, we must move on.
In the meantime, I enjoyed waking early yesterday morning and going for a nice run down the dirt road through the woods. When I got back, I worked in the garden all morning, picking cucumbers and okra, weeding and making tomato cages. While we were harvesting okra, we found some nice looking eggplants that were ready, so we picked those and later I got to exercise some of my culinary skills as I was asked to prepare the eggplant dish for dinner. I tried to be creative and went with herb crusted eggplant medallions in a maple balsamic reduction. Very fun and delicious!
Also, after lunch yesterday, we took two cars full of people over to Twin Oaks (the sister community here, which is much larger. they make hammocks, tofu and soysage, and they have their farm for their businesses) At Twin Oaks, we went skinny dipping in the pond. It was so refreshing after a hot day in the garden! Paul was the only one who refused to get into his skinsuit, so he swam with his boxers, but the rest of us happily swam and sunbathed au natural.
This morning, Lauren, Danielle, Paul, and I woke up at 4am to go to Charlottesville for the Farmer's Market. When I got up, the sky was amazing! I could see every star in the sky! We loaded up the van and drove to C-ville (as they call it around here)and listened to Mirah through the crappy speaker on my mp3 player the whole way. Good times. The market in C-ville was great, and fairly large. I met lots of cool vendors, got some organic bagels and vegan muffins, and ate my fair share of cucumbers. Paul and I wandered around town for a while and visited Integral Yoga Natural Foods where I enjoyed a kombucha. I also saw some flyers for Yogaville programs, which reminded me of my friend Tali who is there now. I called her husband Yoram, and it was so good to talk to him. It always feels amazing to hear someone say they love you and they miss you!
Now I'm just chilling at Acorn. I just finished making a wallet out of an old tube. (BOB got a flat somehow in Lauren's van, so I used that tube) It's a rough, but functional prototype, and I plan to make more in the future.
Lauren and I have been reminiscing about old times and giving each other mad hugs. She just makes me so happy; she's such an amazing person. I've also been so blessed being in the presence of some incredible people in this community. I finished reading Sandor Ellix Katz's latest book, The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved, and that, combined with being at Acorn, has really re-inspired me to get back to community, local food, and a more self-sustaining lifestyle. I already have plans brewing for container gardening and the fermentation station!
In love with life!!!
In the meantime, I enjoyed waking early yesterday morning and going for a nice run down the dirt road through the woods. When I got back, I worked in the garden all morning, picking cucumbers and okra, weeding and making tomato cages. While we were harvesting okra, we found some nice looking eggplants that were ready, so we picked those and later I got to exercise some of my culinary skills as I was asked to prepare the eggplant dish for dinner. I tried to be creative and went with herb crusted eggplant medallions in a maple balsamic reduction. Very fun and delicious!
Also, after lunch yesterday, we took two cars full of people over to Twin Oaks (the sister community here, which is much larger. they make hammocks, tofu and soysage, and they have their farm for their businesses) At Twin Oaks, we went skinny dipping in the pond. It was so refreshing after a hot day in the garden! Paul was the only one who refused to get into his skinsuit, so he swam with his boxers, but the rest of us happily swam and sunbathed au natural.
This morning, Lauren, Danielle, Paul, and I woke up at 4am to go to Charlottesville for the Farmer's Market. When I got up, the sky was amazing! I could see every star in the sky! We loaded up the van and drove to C-ville (as they call it around here)and listened to Mirah through the crappy speaker on my mp3 player the whole way. Good times. The market in C-ville was great, and fairly large. I met lots of cool vendors, got some organic bagels and vegan muffins, and ate my fair share of cucumbers. Paul and I wandered around town for a while and visited Integral Yoga Natural Foods where I enjoyed a kombucha. I also saw some flyers for Yogaville programs, which reminded me of my friend Tali who is there now. I called her husband Yoram, and it was so good to talk to him. It always feels amazing to hear someone say they love you and they miss you!
Now I'm just chilling at Acorn. I just finished making a wallet out of an old tube. (BOB got a flat somehow in Lauren's van, so I used that tube) It's a rough, but functional prototype, and I plan to make more in the future.
Lauren and I have been reminiscing about old times and giving each other mad hugs. She just makes me so happy; she's such an amazing person. I've also been so blessed being in the presence of some incredible people in this community. I finished reading Sandor Ellix Katz's latest book, The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved, and that, combined with being at Acorn, has really re-inspired me to get back to community, local food, and a more self-sustaining lifestyle. I already have plans brewing for container gardening and the fermentation station!
In love with life!!!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Lisa is awesome!!!
Wow, Lisa driving SAG for us was incredible. Paul and I blasted away almost 300 miles in 3 days on our bikes that were light as feathers while all our gear rode happily along in Lisa's trunk. She stopped every 20 or so miles so we could refill water and make pb & j sandwiches, and on top of all that, she was just a really really cool person, and I'm glad to have met her.
Today, we rode with our gear again and it really wasn't that bad. We did 60 odd miles in about 5 hours, but we definitely felt the difference, especially on the hills. We veered off route today and rode 6 miles into Louisa where my friend Lauren came and picked us up. Now, we are staying for two days at the commune/farm where she lives called Acorn. What's funny is that when she picked us up, she drove us back the extra six miles we had ridden through the hills and on to the farm. Damn!
Let me also just add that I love love love love love Lauren, and I've really missed her and it's so awesome to be spending some time with her and to have gotten to her the way I did.
So I've already met lots and lots and lots of great people here, and there will definitely be more to follow.
Until then...
Today, we rode with our gear again and it really wasn't that bad. We did 60 odd miles in about 5 hours, but we definitely felt the difference, especially on the hills. We veered off route today and rode 6 miles into Louisa where my friend Lauren came and picked us up. Now, we are staying for two days at the commune/farm where she lives called Acorn. What's funny is that when she picked us up, she drove us back the extra six miles we had ridden through the hills and on to the farm. Damn!
Let me also just add that I love love love love love Lauren, and I've really missed her and it's so awesome to be spending some time with her and to have gotten to her the way I did.
So I've already met lots and lots and lots of great people here, and there will definitely be more to follow.
Until then...
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Thursday the 12th Proves Worse than Friday the 13th
It's been a long while, and here I sit on a Saturday night at the Baja Cafe in Damascus, Virginia. Yes, I'm already in Virginia!!!
Here's the news:
From Chester, IL, we rode to Carbondale, IL, a nice university town, lots of hippies, you know how I love hippies! We stopped in at the co-op there and it was awesome and rocking the local food scene. I had some kombucha!!! Then at just the right moment we rode over to the best bike shop in town and there was Len, didn't think I'd see him again. He was thrilled to see us, and he invited me to his big shindig in San Francisco in September when he finishes his trip. Len has since headed north on the Underground Railroad trail to the Northern Tier to end in Bar Harbor, Maine. After we talked to Len, he rode on to the next town, and I checked my email to see if one of the warmshowers contacts had gotten back to me. Indeed he did and said he was out of town, but if we didn't take anything from his place, it was unlocked and we were free to stay. So, we stayed at this guy Ben's place in Carbondale. Wow! He was out of town alright, the electricity had been shut off, it was stuffy and humid in his upstairs apartment, a sink full of crusty dishes, rotting avocado shells stacked up in the kitchen. Very interesting accomodations... That night, there happened to be a concert in the park, so Paul and I went to check that out. It was some half decent band from Chicago that played a few Lucinda Williams covers, so that redeemed them.
From Carbondale, we hauled 100 miles in the heat to Sebree, KY where we stayed in an incredible church hostel (The First Baptist Church). It was soooo nice, mattresses and all. Len also caught back up with us for the night.
The next day, we rode to Rough River Dam and along the way, Paul and Dave took a shortcut, but I decided to stay on the route, and thank goodness I did. The shortcut turned out to have several steep hills, whereas the route was moderately hilly. I also got to go through the town of Whitesville, where the people were very kind and generous. One man bought me a juice, and two guys offered me a ride, but I took their wishes for a good journey instead. When I caught up to Paul and Dave again later, they were sitting down having some beers with some hillbillies. I sat down for a cold glass of water. The rednecks offered for us to stay for dinner and feast on a variety of meats on the grill like raccoon and turkey and goat and they were also going to deep fry some vegetables and fish. Paul and I passed and went on to camp, but Dave stuck around and met us at camp later.
The next day, we rode to Hodgenville, KY and on the way, we met three guys who were doing a supported ride from San Diego to Virginia Beach to raise money for children of Gulf War soldiers who died in combat. Two of them used to be Navy Seals. We also stopped at a roadside stand and I got some local fruits and veggies. That night, we were going to camp in the park, but we all went to a Mexican Restaurant, and on the way back to the park, Paul and Dave stopped for ice cream. I kept going back to the park, and while I was talking on the phone to my friend Alex (hey Alex!), the guy locked the gate to the park, so I was locked in and Paul and Dave were locked out. In the end, we decided to pass my stuff (gear and bike and me) over the fence and we just camped behind the high school. Go figure after I got out, two women who lived right there and must have witnessed the whole thing asked if we wanted to the gate opened because they could get it opened and they said the guy who locked it was a crazy case. The whole situation made about as much sense as the mullet one of the women was sporting, so we declined their offer and just stayed behind the high school.
The next day we rode to Harrodsburg, KY where we met the Youth Minister of the Methodist church there and he told us we could camp in the churchyard there. Nothing too exciting there, except that we ended up at the police station the next morning filing a report...
From Harrodsburg, we rode to Berea, KY where Paige came and picked us up and we stayed with their family, who I had contacted through warmshowers. Paige and Andy, and their daughters, Clare and Lillian were great. Paige made vegan Boca burgers for dinner and oatmeal in the morning. She even went out of her way to buy me soy yogurt and soy milk. Andy told me all about his life and his work, which was quite interesting. I watched George of the Jungle with Clare and Lillian showed me her garden that Paige helped her start. Clare is in second grade and Lillian is going into middle school (she was so excited!) Before we left the next morning, Paige gave us all pages from a coloring book that Clare had colored for us. They were so great, and they left a good lasting impression of Kentucky.
From Berea, we officially entered Appalachia. We started with rain the whole day and the climbs just got worse and worse as the day went on. In case you're wondering why I haven't been tallying my flat tires, it's because I haven't had any until about 25 miles outside of Booneville, KY. That's right, my first flat of the whole trip, and of course on the rear tire. I changed it with lightning speed and we kept rolling. That night we stayed at a campground in Buckhorn, KY near the bottom of the dam.
Then it was Thursday the 12th....gasp!....As we were set to leave Buckhorn, I discovered a broken spoke on the cassetted side of the rear wheel, of course. We worked on it for almost two hours and the new spoke just would not thread. Turns out that the idiots at the bike shop in Eugene cut my spare spokes too short. Paul had the ingenious idea of creating a temporary spoke by cutting one of his longer ones and bending it to hold its place and it worked, I've been riding on it ever since. I was hoping to get it fixed here in Damascus, but the bike shops here are sorry little tourist rental shops, so I'll keep riding it until I encounter a decent shop. More on Thursday the 12th....gasp!....As we're riding along, Paul's front tire was making weird noises, so he stopped to check it just before a descent, and the sidewall of his tire was ripped and his tube was busting through, rubbing his brakes, and about to explode on him, so he had to change out to his spare tire. Then just near Hazard, KY, Dave was having shifting problems. At a stoplight, he looked down, and saw that his bottom bracket had come loose and a bearing had actually fallen out, but luckily was sitting right there on his crank where he could grab it and pull over and fix it. Thursday the 12th....gasp!....
Friday the 13th, we rode with no real problems. Paul and I had to walk up a hill for the first time. It was liberating and humbling and really fucking steep all at the same time.
And here I am in Damascus. Tomorrow is a rest day and Paul's friend Lisa is coming down from Cincinnati, OH tomorrow to drive SAG for us for three days to get us through the mountains. I cannot wait. These hills are going to be so much more fun on an empty bike. Thanks Lisa!!!
One thing I've learned: when things stop being fun, figure out how to make them fun!
Here's the news:
From Chester, IL, we rode to Carbondale, IL, a nice university town, lots of hippies, you know how I love hippies! We stopped in at the co-op there and it was awesome and rocking the local food scene. I had some kombucha!!! Then at just the right moment we rode over to the best bike shop in town and there was Len, didn't think I'd see him again. He was thrilled to see us, and he invited me to his big shindig in San Francisco in September when he finishes his trip. Len has since headed north on the Underground Railroad trail to the Northern Tier to end in Bar Harbor, Maine. After we talked to Len, he rode on to the next town, and I checked my email to see if one of the warmshowers contacts had gotten back to me. Indeed he did and said he was out of town, but if we didn't take anything from his place, it was unlocked and we were free to stay. So, we stayed at this guy Ben's place in Carbondale. Wow! He was out of town alright, the electricity had been shut off, it was stuffy and humid in his upstairs apartment, a sink full of crusty dishes, rotting avocado shells stacked up in the kitchen. Very interesting accomodations... That night, there happened to be a concert in the park, so Paul and I went to check that out. It was some half decent band from Chicago that played a few Lucinda Williams covers, so that redeemed them.
From Carbondale, we hauled 100 miles in the heat to Sebree, KY where we stayed in an incredible church hostel (The First Baptist Church). It was soooo nice, mattresses and all. Len also caught back up with us for the night.
The next day, we rode to Rough River Dam and along the way, Paul and Dave took a shortcut, but I decided to stay on the route, and thank goodness I did. The shortcut turned out to have several steep hills, whereas the route was moderately hilly. I also got to go through the town of Whitesville, where the people were very kind and generous. One man bought me a juice, and two guys offered me a ride, but I took their wishes for a good journey instead. When I caught up to Paul and Dave again later, they were sitting down having some beers with some hillbillies. I sat down for a cold glass of water. The rednecks offered for us to stay for dinner and feast on a variety of meats on the grill like raccoon and turkey and goat and they were also going to deep fry some vegetables and fish. Paul and I passed and went on to camp, but Dave stuck around and met us at camp later.
The next day, we rode to Hodgenville, KY and on the way, we met three guys who were doing a supported ride from San Diego to Virginia Beach to raise money for children of Gulf War soldiers who died in combat. Two of them used to be Navy Seals. We also stopped at a roadside stand and I got some local fruits and veggies. That night, we were going to camp in the park, but we all went to a Mexican Restaurant, and on the way back to the park, Paul and Dave stopped for ice cream. I kept going back to the park, and while I was talking on the phone to my friend Alex (hey Alex!), the guy locked the gate to the park, so I was locked in and Paul and Dave were locked out. In the end, we decided to pass my stuff (gear and bike and me) over the fence and we just camped behind the high school. Go figure after I got out, two women who lived right there and must have witnessed the whole thing asked if we wanted to the gate opened because they could get it opened and they said the guy who locked it was a crazy case. The whole situation made about as much sense as the mullet one of the women was sporting, so we declined their offer and just stayed behind the high school.
The next day we rode to Harrodsburg, KY where we met the Youth Minister of the Methodist church there and he told us we could camp in the churchyard there. Nothing too exciting there, except that we ended up at the police station the next morning filing a report...
From Harrodsburg, we rode to Berea, KY where Paige came and picked us up and we stayed with their family, who I had contacted through warmshowers. Paige and Andy, and their daughters, Clare and Lillian were great. Paige made vegan Boca burgers for dinner and oatmeal in the morning. She even went out of her way to buy me soy yogurt and soy milk. Andy told me all about his life and his work, which was quite interesting. I watched George of the Jungle with Clare and Lillian showed me her garden that Paige helped her start. Clare is in second grade and Lillian is going into middle school (she was so excited!) Before we left the next morning, Paige gave us all pages from a coloring book that Clare had colored for us. They were so great, and they left a good lasting impression of Kentucky.
From Berea, we officially entered Appalachia. We started with rain the whole day and the climbs just got worse and worse as the day went on. In case you're wondering why I haven't been tallying my flat tires, it's because I haven't had any until about 25 miles outside of Booneville, KY. That's right, my first flat of the whole trip, and of course on the rear tire. I changed it with lightning speed and we kept rolling. That night we stayed at a campground in Buckhorn, KY near the bottom of the dam.
Then it was Thursday the 12th....gasp!....As we were set to leave Buckhorn, I discovered a broken spoke on the cassetted side of the rear wheel, of course. We worked on it for almost two hours and the new spoke just would not thread. Turns out that the idiots at the bike shop in Eugene cut my spare spokes too short. Paul had the ingenious idea of creating a temporary spoke by cutting one of his longer ones and bending it to hold its place and it worked, I've been riding on it ever since. I was hoping to get it fixed here in Damascus, but the bike shops here are sorry little tourist rental shops, so I'll keep riding it until I encounter a decent shop. More on Thursday the 12th....gasp!....As we're riding along, Paul's front tire was making weird noises, so he stopped to check it just before a descent, and the sidewall of his tire was ripped and his tube was busting through, rubbing his brakes, and about to explode on him, so he had to change out to his spare tire. Then just near Hazard, KY, Dave was having shifting problems. At a stoplight, he looked down, and saw that his bottom bracket had come loose and a bearing had actually fallen out, but luckily was sitting right there on his crank where he could grab it and pull over and fix it. Thursday the 12th....gasp!....
Friday the 13th, we rode with no real problems. Paul and I had to walk up a hill for the first time. It was liberating and humbling and really fucking steep all at the same time.
And here I am in Damascus. Tomorrow is a rest day and Paul's friend Lisa is coming down from Cincinnati, OH tomorrow to drive SAG for us for three days to get us through the mountains. I cannot wait. These hills are going to be so much more fun on an empty bike. Thanks Lisa!!!
One thing I've learned: when things stop being fun, figure out how to make them fun!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
The World is Shrinking!
This is a quick one...
On our way to Chester today, we ran into 3 people going west, and we chatted for a bit. One guy is from the Cleveland area and he and one of the other guys went to college together in Wooster, OH. I said, no way, my cousin went there, and he graduated in the same year as one of the guys. He said who's your cousin and I told him, and he said, yeah, I know that guy.
Wild. Paul said we should start playing 6 degrees to Karli with everyone we meet along the way...
On our way to Chester today, we ran into 3 people going west, and we chatted for a bit. One guy is from the Cleveland area and he and one of the other guys went to college together in Wooster, OH. I said, no way, my cousin went there, and he graduated in the same year as one of the guys. He said who's your cousin and I told him, and he said, yeah, I know that guy.
Wild. Paul said we should start playing 6 degrees to Karli with everyone we meet along the way...
Monday, July 2, 2007
Holy Hilly Humid Hmissouri!
Ha, I had to change the spelling of Missouri just so I could keep the alliteration rocking in the title. Before I get to the burn in my legs and the hellishly steep hills, let me back up to Newton, Kansas.
There are three good reasons to love Kansas and never want to leave. In no particular order, they are Liz, Heidi, and Kate. Heidi and Liz let us stay with them for three nights in Newton, and they really made this trip memorable! They indulged my vegan pizza fantasy that I'd been dreaming up for miles, since somewhere in Colorado probably. So, Liz's friend Kate (a vegan!) came over and we had a big delicious homemade vegan pizza extravaganza with me acting as the primary chef. It was fantastic fun! By the way, Liz and Heidi are vegetarians, so that only raises the level on their cool meter. Good friends, good food, and good times: what more can a tired cyclist want in the middle of Kansas.
And why did we stay three nights you're wondering? Well, Paul and Dave and I decided to wait for the others to catch up, only to lose them again, but more on that later. Anyway, we told Liz and Heidi that we were waiting for the others to catch up, but really, we just wanted to hang out some more with them! I joked about moving in with them and had I known about the severity of the climbs in the Ozarks, I might really be residing in Newton, KS for the time being. I almost thought of turning around and going back, but there was no way I was going to climb back up some of those hills I came down!
Okay, I know you're dying for me to move past Newton already, but I have to briefly describe my first ever dumpster diving experience. The night before we left town, Heidi got us excited to go on a dumpster adventure behind the Hostess outlet for free bread. Somewhere around 11 pm, Dave, Paul, Kate, Heidi, Liz, and I all got on our bikes and pedaled over to the dumpster, only to find it empty, bummer! Then we pedaled around town having a good old time until we got to the Alco (a store very much like K-Mart), and we scavenged their dumpster. We found cartons upon cartons upon cartons of cigarettes. It was such a score I almost wished I smoke just so I could be that much more excited about it! We loaded up the rear baskets of Heidi's bike (which Dave was riding), and what a sight that was. I have some good photos. Before we left the next morning, I took a pack of Lucky Strikes and rolled them in my sleeve. I've been riding with them ever since, but since we've pretty much been rained on everyday, they've had to hang out in my handlebar bag until they can safely be rolled in my sleeve again. They definitely make me feel more hardcore, but don't Luckies always make one feel a little edgier?
Okay, now, moving on...from Newton, we met up with the others in the next town up the road, and planned to ride the 90 odd miles to Toronto Reservoir. Well, Kev and Nix fell back and Linus and Derek stopped in Eureka to eat, and Paul, Dave, an I rode ahead to Toronto. So, the others never showed up in Toronto (probably too many drinks in Eureka, as we've learned seems to be the new fad for that group. Needless to say, we haven't seen them since. Ah well, Paul, Dave, and I make a good team. Dave and I went swimming in Toronto Lake. It was pleasantly warm and we were already wet from riding in the rain all day, so why not jump in? I swam out to the buoy and back a few times until I thought I might drown from the fatigue in my arms. So then I did some water push ups off the swim bar (no pain, no gain!) Then Dave and I just splashed and dunked each other in shallow water like a couple of flirtatious pre-teens at the beach. What fun! Later that night, Paul and Dave left their food out on their bikes, so some raccoons had a good time raiding our camp. They ate some food, tore a hole in one of Paul's waterproof pannier covers, and put a hold in the side of Dave's tent after he stashed his food in there and gave up on chasing them away and went to sleep up by the bathrooms. Aside from the damage, they kept us up all night with all their rifling and fighting over the food treasures they had discovered. However, they did leave me alone. I'm convinced they could smell my vegan blood and wanted to do me no harm. Ha.
From Toronto, we rode 105 miles to Pittsburg, KS, which is right near the Missouri border. We had heard horro stories from other cyclists about how the drivers in Missouri hate cyclists and try to run them off the road for points. I was a little worried about what was ahead when we got yelled at at least 3 times and we were still a few miles from Missouri. However, it turns out that Missouri motorists have been incredibly patient and have waved kindly as they drive by.
Just before we got to Pittsburg, we met a buy named Brian who was riding in our direction, so he stuck with us. We also met a couple on a tandem going our direct. Their names are Marie and Adam and they were heading home to D.C. We got a hotel in Pittsburg due to a flood warning and rumors of more raccoons at the park, so we didn't see Marie and Adam that night, since they camped at the park. We did, however, run into Len at the hotel. He's an older guy that lives in San Francisco and he had ridden with us for about half a day back in Kansas. Apparently he caught up with us since we spent so much time in Newton! He said he'd been thinking about me and my endeavors (I had told him about Stanford) and he is so proud of me. What a nice guy! He rented a car and headed up to Kansas City to see some friends, so we may not see him again, but you never know...
From Pittsburg, we rode on to Ash Grove, MO and oh my did we hit some hills, pretty much as soon as we crossed the border. Some were quite steep, but still nothing like what was yet to come! When we got to Ash Grove, we rolled up to the city park to camp and who was there already set up, but Marie and Adam! We were talking and it turned out that they are originally from Ohio. This is CRAZY. Check out this conversation:
Karli: Where in Ohio?
Marie: Oh, just a small town in NE Ohio.
K: Try me.
M: Ok, Wadsworth, near Akron.
K: Oh, yes. I went to Stow.
M: Really? Wow, small world. When did you graduate?
K: 2000
M: Okay, you're two years younger than us.
K: Wait a minute...did you go to elementary and middle school in Wadsworth?
M: Yeah, we both did.
K: Did you know a family by the name of Smith (name changed to protect the innocent)
Adam: Yeah, I lived across the street from them growing up....
K: No way, that's my best friend from high school...
Woah, I never thought I'd meet people in some small town in Missouri on a bicycle that grew up across the street from one of my best friends. Wow! (So, Jeanine, Marie also knew who you are and Adam said to tell DJ that Adam from across the street when they were kids says hi)
Leaving Ash Grove the next day, Brian said he was going to go off route to a bike shop and he'd catch us at our destination later, but he never showed up, thank goodness!!! We'd been trying to figure out how to ditch that guy since we first met him. He was just extremely immature and made the most inappropriate jokes at all the wrong times, so then they were even more inappropriate than they would have been if he'd had better timing. He was also always talking loudly and obnoxiously on his cell phone, even while riding. Sadly, we couldn't keep up with Marie and Adam. They cruise on that tandem, and they have to be back to work in D.C. in something like 16 days.
From Ash Grove, we found ourselves to be a trio again as we rolled into Hartville. That was a hell of a day. That was the first day all trip I found myself thinking, what the hell am I doing here. Why am I not at home, in bed, sleeping, and earning money at a job? Then I started thinking about how much I love my mom, probably because I thought I might die on some of those hills and never see her again. Just kidding. I just really love you, mom! Then (not to belittle my love for my mom) I started thinking about how much I love cold watermelon, but I think that's just because it was so hot and humid. On the last climb into Hartville, it was so steep, I wanted to jump off the bike and cry, but I didn't. I just collapsed on the courthouse lawn when we got to Hartville. We also met the local Princess Betty. She said everyone in town calls her Little Betty, but she prefers Princess Betty. She sure was a character.
From Hartville, we got an early start to Eminence. The last 5 miles of that ride were the roughest with some steep climbs and a lovely thunderstorm. The pouring rain made some of the descents scary for sure. I just thought, please don't die, please don't die. And I didn't die! Because there was a severe weather warning, we sat at a cafe and then went to the grocer in Eminence. It was still raining so this guy offered us a ride back to camp. I said sure, but soon regretted it when I got in the car and he was smoking a cigarette, drinking a can of Bud Light in a coozie, and then let us know that he had no windshield wipers, but he didn't need to see since he'd lived and worked in that town for 20 years. I said, good, we're staying less than a quarter mile away, so in no time we were home safe.
From Eminence, we rode to Centerville which was only 40 miles, but our toughest stretch of the Ozarks. There were probably about 3 really horribly steep climbs. There was definitely one where I wanted to jump off the bike, puke, and then keep pedaling. Luckily, I was able to puke without getting off the bike. Just kidding, I didn't puke or get off the bike. I toughed it out and made it! Oh, but my legs were screaming alright. I know that's a common expression, but I really heard them. They were screaming, "Rent a car, you fool!" Dave said he couldn't believe I made it up some of those hills because he was struggling and he has a much wider range of gears than I do with my compact double.
Centerville to Farmington, where I'm writing from right now wasn't so bad. Some hills, but nothing crazy steep. Hopefully, the steep ones won't hit us again for a while. Those hills in the Ozarks were like riding from Decatur to Little Five Points on Mclendon only 1000 times worse. Or like riding up the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville to Devil's Courthouse, only 100 times worse, or like riding PCH near Malibu or between Santa Cruz and Davenport, only 100 times worse, or like the first two days riding from Atlanta to Savannah (hey Joey, Huan, Trystan, Abbey where are you with your SUV when I need you?), only 100 times worse, or like riding up Lombard St. in San Francisco, only that's probably 100 times worse!
Today was our first sunny rain-free day in a long time. We had pretty much been rained on since we left Newton and everything smells like wet funk. It kind of reminds me of Outward Bound and makes me feel a little homesick for Cedar Rock. (hey Lisa and any other OB friends who might be reading this!) I've been praying for the rain to move to Atlanta because I hear that all the lovely people there could sure use it!
Tomorrow, we cross into Illinois and we'll hang out in Chester where my good friend Dave is driving down to visit from St. Louis. I can't wait to see him!
Thanks for all your thoughts. I love you all!
There are three good reasons to love Kansas and never want to leave. In no particular order, they are Liz, Heidi, and Kate. Heidi and Liz let us stay with them for three nights in Newton, and they really made this trip memorable! They indulged my vegan pizza fantasy that I'd been dreaming up for miles, since somewhere in Colorado probably. So, Liz's friend Kate (a vegan!) came over and we had a big delicious homemade vegan pizza extravaganza with me acting as the primary chef. It was fantastic fun! By the way, Liz and Heidi are vegetarians, so that only raises the level on their cool meter. Good friends, good food, and good times: what more can a tired cyclist want in the middle of Kansas.
And why did we stay three nights you're wondering? Well, Paul and Dave and I decided to wait for the others to catch up, only to lose them again, but more on that later. Anyway, we told Liz and Heidi that we were waiting for the others to catch up, but really, we just wanted to hang out some more with them! I joked about moving in with them and had I known about the severity of the climbs in the Ozarks, I might really be residing in Newton, KS for the time being. I almost thought of turning around and going back, but there was no way I was going to climb back up some of those hills I came down!
Okay, I know you're dying for me to move past Newton already, but I have to briefly describe my first ever dumpster diving experience. The night before we left town, Heidi got us excited to go on a dumpster adventure behind the Hostess outlet for free bread. Somewhere around 11 pm, Dave, Paul, Kate, Heidi, Liz, and I all got on our bikes and pedaled over to the dumpster, only to find it empty, bummer! Then we pedaled around town having a good old time until we got to the Alco (a store very much like K-Mart), and we scavenged their dumpster. We found cartons upon cartons upon cartons of cigarettes. It was such a score I almost wished I smoke just so I could be that much more excited about it! We loaded up the rear baskets of Heidi's bike (which Dave was riding), and what a sight that was. I have some good photos. Before we left the next morning, I took a pack of Lucky Strikes and rolled them in my sleeve. I've been riding with them ever since, but since we've pretty much been rained on everyday, they've had to hang out in my handlebar bag until they can safely be rolled in my sleeve again. They definitely make me feel more hardcore, but don't Luckies always make one feel a little edgier?
Okay, now, moving on...from Newton, we met up with the others in the next town up the road, and planned to ride the 90 odd miles to Toronto Reservoir. Well, Kev and Nix fell back and Linus and Derek stopped in Eureka to eat, and Paul, Dave, an I rode ahead to Toronto. So, the others never showed up in Toronto (probably too many drinks in Eureka, as we've learned seems to be the new fad for that group. Needless to say, we haven't seen them since. Ah well, Paul, Dave, and I make a good team. Dave and I went swimming in Toronto Lake. It was pleasantly warm and we were already wet from riding in the rain all day, so why not jump in? I swam out to the buoy and back a few times until I thought I might drown from the fatigue in my arms. So then I did some water push ups off the swim bar (no pain, no gain!) Then Dave and I just splashed and dunked each other in shallow water like a couple of flirtatious pre-teens at the beach. What fun! Later that night, Paul and Dave left their food out on their bikes, so some raccoons had a good time raiding our camp. They ate some food, tore a hole in one of Paul's waterproof pannier covers, and put a hold in the side of Dave's tent after he stashed his food in there and gave up on chasing them away and went to sleep up by the bathrooms. Aside from the damage, they kept us up all night with all their rifling and fighting over the food treasures they had discovered. However, they did leave me alone. I'm convinced they could smell my vegan blood and wanted to do me no harm. Ha.
From Toronto, we rode 105 miles to Pittsburg, KS, which is right near the Missouri border. We had heard horro stories from other cyclists about how the drivers in Missouri hate cyclists and try to run them off the road for points. I was a little worried about what was ahead when we got yelled at at least 3 times and we were still a few miles from Missouri. However, it turns out that Missouri motorists have been incredibly patient and have waved kindly as they drive by.
Just before we got to Pittsburg, we met a buy named Brian who was riding in our direction, so he stuck with us. We also met a couple on a tandem going our direct. Their names are Marie and Adam and they were heading home to D.C. We got a hotel in Pittsburg due to a flood warning and rumors of more raccoons at the park, so we didn't see Marie and Adam that night, since they camped at the park. We did, however, run into Len at the hotel. He's an older guy that lives in San Francisco and he had ridden with us for about half a day back in Kansas. Apparently he caught up with us since we spent so much time in Newton! He said he'd been thinking about me and my endeavors (I had told him about Stanford) and he is so proud of me. What a nice guy! He rented a car and headed up to Kansas City to see some friends, so we may not see him again, but you never know...
From Pittsburg, we rode on to Ash Grove, MO and oh my did we hit some hills, pretty much as soon as we crossed the border. Some were quite steep, but still nothing like what was yet to come! When we got to Ash Grove, we rolled up to the city park to camp and who was there already set up, but Marie and Adam! We were talking and it turned out that they are originally from Ohio. This is CRAZY. Check out this conversation:
Karli: Where in Ohio?
Marie: Oh, just a small town in NE Ohio.
K: Try me.
M: Ok, Wadsworth, near Akron.
K: Oh, yes. I went to Stow.
M: Really? Wow, small world. When did you graduate?
K: 2000
M: Okay, you're two years younger than us.
K: Wait a minute...did you go to elementary and middle school in Wadsworth?
M: Yeah, we both did.
K: Did you know a family by the name of Smith (name changed to protect the innocent)
Adam: Yeah, I lived across the street from them growing up....
K: No way, that's my best friend from high school...
Woah, I never thought I'd meet people in some small town in Missouri on a bicycle that grew up across the street from one of my best friends. Wow! (So, Jeanine, Marie also knew who you are and Adam said to tell DJ that Adam from across the street when they were kids says hi)
Leaving Ash Grove the next day, Brian said he was going to go off route to a bike shop and he'd catch us at our destination later, but he never showed up, thank goodness!!! We'd been trying to figure out how to ditch that guy since we first met him. He was just extremely immature and made the most inappropriate jokes at all the wrong times, so then they were even more inappropriate than they would have been if he'd had better timing. He was also always talking loudly and obnoxiously on his cell phone, even while riding. Sadly, we couldn't keep up with Marie and Adam. They cruise on that tandem, and they have to be back to work in D.C. in something like 16 days.
From Ash Grove, we found ourselves to be a trio again as we rolled into Hartville. That was a hell of a day. That was the first day all trip I found myself thinking, what the hell am I doing here. Why am I not at home, in bed, sleeping, and earning money at a job? Then I started thinking about how much I love my mom, probably because I thought I might die on some of those hills and never see her again. Just kidding. I just really love you, mom! Then (not to belittle my love for my mom) I started thinking about how much I love cold watermelon, but I think that's just because it was so hot and humid. On the last climb into Hartville, it was so steep, I wanted to jump off the bike and cry, but I didn't. I just collapsed on the courthouse lawn when we got to Hartville. We also met the local Princess Betty. She said everyone in town calls her Little Betty, but she prefers Princess Betty. She sure was a character.
From Hartville, we got an early start to Eminence. The last 5 miles of that ride were the roughest with some steep climbs and a lovely thunderstorm. The pouring rain made some of the descents scary for sure. I just thought, please don't die, please don't die. And I didn't die! Because there was a severe weather warning, we sat at a cafe and then went to the grocer in Eminence. It was still raining so this guy offered us a ride back to camp. I said sure, but soon regretted it when I got in the car and he was smoking a cigarette, drinking a can of Bud Light in a coozie, and then let us know that he had no windshield wipers, but he didn't need to see since he'd lived and worked in that town for 20 years. I said, good, we're staying less than a quarter mile away, so in no time we were home safe.
From Eminence, we rode to Centerville which was only 40 miles, but our toughest stretch of the Ozarks. There were probably about 3 really horribly steep climbs. There was definitely one where I wanted to jump off the bike, puke, and then keep pedaling. Luckily, I was able to puke without getting off the bike. Just kidding, I didn't puke or get off the bike. I toughed it out and made it! Oh, but my legs were screaming alright. I know that's a common expression, but I really heard them. They were screaming, "Rent a car, you fool!" Dave said he couldn't believe I made it up some of those hills because he was struggling and he has a much wider range of gears than I do with my compact double.
Centerville to Farmington, where I'm writing from right now wasn't so bad. Some hills, but nothing crazy steep. Hopefully, the steep ones won't hit us again for a while. Those hills in the Ozarks were like riding from Decatur to Little Five Points on Mclendon only 1000 times worse. Or like riding up the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville to Devil's Courthouse, only 100 times worse, or like riding PCH near Malibu or between Santa Cruz and Davenport, only 100 times worse, or like the first two days riding from Atlanta to Savannah (hey Joey, Huan, Trystan, Abbey where are you with your SUV when I need you?), only 100 times worse, or like riding up Lombard St. in San Francisco, only that's probably 100 times worse!
Today was our first sunny rain-free day in a long time. We had pretty much been rained on since we left Newton and everything smells like wet funk. It kind of reminds me of Outward Bound and makes me feel a little homesick for Cedar Rock. (hey Lisa and any other OB friends who might be reading this!) I've been praying for the rain to move to Atlanta because I hear that all the lovely people there could sure use it!
Tomorrow, we cross into Illinois and we'll hang out in Chester where my good friend Dave is driving down to visit from St. Louis. I can't wait to see him!
Thanks for all your thoughts. I love you all!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Kansas is AWESOME!
Wow, sorry about the negativity of that last post, but you'll be glad to know that I think Kansas rocks. I'm in Newton, KS right now where I'll be staying tonight and tomorrow night at the residence of Heidi and Liz, two women who did the ride last year. We met Heidi at a bead shop right next to the health food store in town. (Yay for health food stores!)
So let me recap the last few days...
From Pueblo, we went to Ordway,CO where we stayed with Gillian. She rocks. She let us sleep in her spare beds, futons, couches, etc. She let us do laundry and use the internet and cook in her kitchen. It was 50 miles from Pueblo to Ordway, so I went for a run as soon as we got in to Gillian's. It was so hot, but I had fun running through the sprinklers at the park. Wow, park sprinklers, I do have to say, are one of my new favorite things, you know, like whiskers on kittens and stuff. Gillian saw me leaving to go for my run and she said, "Wow, you are hardcore." So I smiled and flexed for her.
From Ordway, we went to Eads, CO where we ran into the Adventure Cycling group heading west. They invited us to stay at the fairgrounds with them. They were a very interesting and dynamic group of 15. I bet they have some DRAMA! Anyway, we slept on the floor in the fairgrounds building that night and they fed us dinner (I had some of the salad, but the shrimp and chicken gumbos were out of the question for me!) I also got two cans of HALT! Dog Mace from a couple guys: they said we'll need it in Kentucky. I hope not.
From Eads, Paul and I rode all the way to Scott City, KS which was 105 miles. Cheers to another century and more park sprinklers! Oh, and in Eads, Dave, the guy we met way back at Ochoco Reservoir in Oregon, caught up to us. While we were dallying around on Ken's retired guy schedule, Dave was cruising through Fort Collins, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Colorado Springs, and just happened to rejoin the route and catch us. So, he met up with Paul and I in Scott City. The others (Derek, Linus, Nix, and Kev) stayed behind for a weak 60 miler in Tribune. Well, Kev and Nix did 95 miles that day because they were impatient and left before the rest of us and got themelves lost. Oops! We felt bad for them! Paul and I hope the group catches up to us in Newton in the next couple days, but we are also feeling ready to bust off with Dave and really cruise now. No point sitting around in wheat and corn fields when there's riding to be had!
From Scott City, Dave, Paul, and I jammed out almost 120 miles to Great Bend, where we rested comfortably in a Travelodge and ate Tofutti Cuties! Yes, Paul is going vegan again with me through Kansas. Yay Paul! There was a bike shop in Great Bend that was cool and full of friendly people who gave us a nice confusing and scenic route to take out of Great Bend, but we avoided a lot of traffic, which was good. Oh, and Molly, if you're reading this, I sent you another box from Great Bend (surprise!). I decided to drop some of my winter clothes, extra maps, and the book I had just finished reading.
From Great Bend, we took a short day, about 50 miles, down to Nickerson, KS where I went for another run, and was stopped twice by locals asking directions to the ball fields. You'd think in a 1200 person town that everyone would know where the ball fields are, but apparently not. The best part was that I could actually give them directions because we were camping in the park right there. There was a little league tournament going on, so we got some popcorn and watched the 10-12 years old game. It was so intense! The home team made a serius comeback and tied the game up at 13-13, so they had to play an extra inning and then lost 18-13 or something like that. Bummer...We were cheering for the local kids, calling out their names and all. It was good fun. That was last night actually, and then around 3 am we got hit by a LOUD thunderstorm. I was huddled in my tent in lightning position hoping that the tree right above me didn't come crashing down on me, and praying that a tornado didn'tcome lift me away. Nothing like camping in a storm, yeah!
Today, we rode from Nickerson here to Newton. Rest day tomorrow, so I'll go for a little run. This Newton is a cute little town. We've passed through lots of cute towns in Kansas. Sterling and Hesston stick out for me. The people in Kansas have been sooo nice. They stop and chat, ask if we need anything, etc. The weather has been HOT! The winds were rough for a couple days, but not too bad today. The first couple hundred miles in Kansas consisted of a lot of corn fields, wheat fields, and feedlots. If were weren't smelling pesticideds, we were smelling cow shit. But it's gotten much better since just before Great Bend. And just so y'all know: Kansas ain't so flat. There's some nice rolling hills, and some gradual not very steep climbs. Nothing major, so I like to stay in a hard gear and pretend I'm racing. I stand up for the attack and then ride it out. We make great time in this state! Who wants to race me when I get home?
Oh, yes, and I forgot to mention...It's a good thing I sent those 6 extra pounds to Molly because Heidi directed us to a discount store here in Newton where they had Clif and Luna bars 10 for a dollar, and I went a little crazy. Clif products have become a new food group for me. Yikes!
So let me recap the last few days...
From Pueblo, we went to Ordway,CO where we stayed with Gillian. She rocks. She let us sleep in her spare beds, futons, couches, etc. She let us do laundry and use the internet and cook in her kitchen. It was 50 miles from Pueblo to Ordway, so I went for a run as soon as we got in to Gillian's. It was so hot, but I had fun running through the sprinklers at the park. Wow, park sprinklers, I do have to say, are one of my new favorite things, you know, like whiskers on kittens and stuff. Gillian saw me leaving to go for my run and she said, "Wow, you are hardcore." So I smiled and flexed for her.
From Ordway, we went to Eads, CO where we ran into the Adventure Cycling group heading west. They invited us to stay at the fairgrounds with them. They were a very interesting and dynamic group of 15. I bet they have some DRAMA! Anyway, we slept on the floor in the fairgrounds building that night and they fed us dinner (I had some of the salad, but the shrimp and chicken gumbos were out of the question for me!) I also got two cans of HALT! Dog Mace from a couple guys: they said we'll need it in Kentucky. I hope not.
From Eads, Paul and I rode all the way to Scott City, KS which was 105 miles. Cheers to another century and more park sprinklers! Oh, and in Eads, Dave, the guy we met way back at Ochoco Reservoir in Oregon, caught up to us. While we were dallying around on Ken's retired guy schedule, Dave was cruising through Fort Collins, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Colorado Springs, and just happened to rejoin the route and catch us. So, he met up with Paul and I in Scott City. The others (Derek, Linus, Nix, and Kev) stayed behind for a weak 60 miler in Tribune. Well, Kev and Nix did 95 miles that day because they were impatient and left before the rest of us and got themelves lost. Oops! We felt bad for them! Paul and I hope the group catches up to us in Newton in the next couple days, but we are also feeling ready to bust off with Dave and really cruise now. No point sitting around in wheat and corn fields when there's riding to be had!
From Scott City, Dave, Paul, and I jammed out almost 120 miles to Great Bend, where we rested comfortably in a Travelodge and ate Tofutti Cuties! Yes, Paul is going vegan again with me through Kansas. Yay Paul! There was a bike shop in Great Bend that was cool and full of friendly people who gave us a nice confusing and scenic route to take out of Great Bend, but we avoided a lot of traffic, which was good. Oh, and Molly, if you're reading this, I sent you another box from Great Bend (surprise!). I decided to drop some of my winter clothes, extra maps, and the book I had just finished reading.
From Great Bend, we took a short day, about 50 miles, down to Nickerson, KS where I went for another run, and was stopped twice by locals asking directions to the ball fields. You'd think in a 1200 person town that everyone would know where the ball fields are, but apparently not. The best part was that I could actually give them directions because we were camping in the park right there. There was a little league tournament going on, so we got some popcorn and watched the 10-12 years old game. It was so intense! The home team made a serius comeback and tied the game up at 13-13, so they had to play an extra inning and then lost 18-13 or something like that. Bummer...We were cheering for the local kids, calling out their names and all. It was good fun. That was last night actually, and then around 3 am we got hit by a LOUD thunderstorm. I was huddled in my tent in lightning position hoping that the tree right above me didn't come crashing down on me, and praying that a tornado didn'tcome lift me away. Nothing like camping in a storm, yeah!
Today, we rode from Nickerson here to Newton. Rest day tomorrow, so I'll go for a little run. This Newton is a cute little town. We've passed through lots of cute towns in Kansas. Sterling and Hesston stick out for me. The people in Kansas have been sooo nice. They stop and chat, ask if we need anything, etc. The weather has been HOT! The winds were rough for a couple days, but not too bad today. The first couple hundred miles in Kansas consisted of a lot of corn fields, wheat fields, and feedlots. If were weren't smelling pesticideds, we were smelling cow shit. But it's gotten much better since just before Great Bend. And just so y'all know: Kansas ain't so flat. There's some nice rolling hills, and some gradual not very steep climbs. Nothing major, so I like to stay in a hard gear and pretend I'm racing. I stand up for the attack and then ride it out. We make great time in this state! Who wants to race me when I get home?
Oh, yes, and I forgot to mention...It's a good thing I sent those 6 extra pounds to Molly because Heidi directed us to a discount store here in Newton where they had Clif and Luna bars 10 for a dollar, and I went a little crazy. Clif products have become a new food group for me. Yikes!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Over the Rockies to Pueblo, CO
Okay, so I haven't posted anything since Dubois, WY. Right now I am writing this from Pueblo, CO on a rest day.
A lot has happened since Dubois. We left Dubois and we had a horrid headwind and it was so cold that my fingers and toes were in pain until they went numb. We got into Jeffrey City that night, which was by far the most bizarre town we've been to. It was an old uranium mining town that went under in the 80's, so it was completely abandoned, save a bar/restaurant. We camped under some old pavilion near an abandoned Lion's Club building. The strange thing about the town is that it looked like people picked up and left in a hurry. The building we went into had stuff strewn about like reading glasses, old six packs of coke, paperwork, old newspapers, etc. It looked like people just dropped everything and ran out in a panic, but according to the woman who owns the bar, people just slowly left when the work stopped. Anyway, I have lots of great photos of that place.
From Jeffrey City, we went on to Rawlins, WY where we took a rest day and saw Shrek 3, which was funny, but not as funny as Shrek 2. We were supposed to go bowling as well, but I opted out since I left my socks at the campground and wanted to get some studying done. The winds all through Wyoming were against us and brutally unforgiving, but since that hail storm and that cold morning leaving Dubois, it's been nothing but sun!
We crossed into Colorado about 5 days ago. In the past week or so, we've been meeting lots of cyclists. In Rawlins, we met Peter, who rode with us for a day. In Kremmling, CO we met two twins, Brandy and Brenda riding from Alabama to West Yellowstone, MT where they live. We met lots of cyclists going the opposite direction in the past couple days. All this meeting of cyclists leads to an update on the group. We are now 6: Karli, Paul, Kevin, Nicola, Linus, and Derek. We met Linus and Derek in Yellowstone, and actually started riding with them back in Lander, WY. They are great guys; I love having them along. Bryan left the group a couple days ago in Breckenridge, CO to ride south to the Telluride bluegrass festival. We also met a guy named Holland on the way to Kremmling, CO and he rode with us until Breckenridge, and then branched off with Bryan. So, now it's the 6 of us.
Back to the journey...riding through Colorado was great. From Kremmling, we rode through Silverthorne, where Bryan, Paul, and I stopped at the Outlets and went on a shopping spree at the Pearl Izumi outlet. I was so excited, but spent too much money (yikes, credit card bills!) I also got a pair of running shoes at the outlet mall and went for a run this morning around the park and through the neighborhoods here in Pueblo. It felt great to run again and not have any tendon problems! Okay, so from Silverthorne, we rode on to Breckenridge where we stayed in this really cute hostel owned by a lovely British couple. I took a nice relaxing dip in the hot tub there. We met some crazy coked out vegan girl and I enjoyed an awesome vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookie from a local bakery. I also wandered into the North Face store, but quickly left before I spent any more money. Breck was pretty cool for a tourist/resort town.
From Breck we rode up Hoosier Pass, our highest climb on the whole trip at some 11,500 feet. It was a good climb with switchbacks and it felt great to be at the top where the air is so thin and pure! Then it was down down down at high speeds before we had to climb a few more passes. That day, Paul and I decided to bust ahead of the group for our first century of this trip, and we did 100 miles into Canon City. The people in Canon City were absolutely unfriendly and creepy, so that kind of sucked. From Canon City to Pueblo, the temps have been scorching hot, the people have been jerks, and Paul and I decided that eastern Colorado pretty much SUCKS! We've also heard horrible things about Kansas, Missouri, and Kentucky from cyclists heading west, so I'm bummed that there's not much to look forward to until Virginia.
Yesterday was the first day in the 41 days that I've been on this trip that I was feeling down and ready for it to be over. Frustrations with asshole drivers, rude people, and trouble finding a place to sleep all added up for me. But today the rest of the group showed up at the city park where we ended up being able to camp in Pueblo which was a relief since we didn't hear from them for a day and a half since Paul and I shot ahead and I'm feeling rejuvenated after my run this morning. Linus also cleaned and tightened my rear cassette and helped me change my chain, so I'm excited. It'll be like riding a whole new bike!
Tomorrow we head to Ordway, CO where we hope to stay with a woman from New Zealand who we've heard puts up cyclists. She lets them camp in her yard, do laundry, use internet, etc. Then it's on to Kansas. Wish us well with those winds!
A lot has happened since Dubois. We left Dubois and we had a horrid headwind and it was so cold that my fingers and toes were in pain until they went numb. We got into Jeffrey City that night, which was by far the most bizarre town we've been to. It was an old uranium mining town that went under in the 80's, so it was completely abandoned, save a bar/restaurant. We camped under some old pavilion near an abandoned Lion's Club building. The strange thing about the town is that it looked like people picked up and left in a hurry. The building we went into had stuff strewn about like reading glasses, old six packs of coke, paperwork, old newspapers, etc. It looked like people just dropped everything and ran out in a panic, but according to the woman who owns the bar, people just slowly left when the work stopped. Anyway, I have lots of great photos of that place.
From Jeffrey City, we went on to Rawlins, WY where we took a rest day and saw Shrek 3, which was funny, but not as funny as Shrek 2. We were supposed to go bowling as well, but I opted out since I left my socks at the campground and wanted to get some studying done. The winds all through Wyoming were against us and brutally unforgiving, but since that hail storm and that cold morning leaving Dubois, it's been nothing but sun!
We crossed into Colorado about 5 days ago. In the past week or so, we've been meeting lots of cyclists. In Rawlins, we met Peter, who rode with us for a day. In Kremmling, CO we met two twins, Brandy and Brenda riding from Alabama to West Yellowstone, MT where they live. We met lots of cyclists going the opposite direction in the past couple days. All this meeting of cyclists leads to an update on the group. We are now 6: Karli, Paul, Kevin, Nicola, Linus, and Derek. We met Linus and Derek in Yellowstone, and actually started riding with them back in Lander, WY. They are great guys; I love having them along. Bryan left the group a couple days ago in Breckenridge, CO to ride south to the Telluride bluegrass festival. We also met a guy named Holland on the way to Kremmling, CO and he rode with us until Breckenridge, and then branched off with Bryan. So, now it's the 6 of us.
Back to the journey...riding through Colorado was great. From Kremmling, we rode through Silverthorne, where Bryan, Paul, and I stopped at the Outlets and went on a shopping spree at the Pearl Izumi outlet. I was so excited, but spent too much money (yikes, credit card bills!) I also got a pair of running shoes at the outlet mall and went for a run this morning around the park and through the neighborhoods here in Pueblo. It felt great to run again and not have any tendon problems! Okay, so from Silverthorne, we rode on to Breckenridge where we stayed in this really cute hostel owned by a lovely British couple. I took a nice relaxing dip in the hot tub there. We met some crazy coked out vegan girl and I enjoyed an awesome vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookie from a local bakery. I also wandered into the North Face store, but quickly left before I spent any more money. Breck was pretty cool for a tourist/resort town.
From Breck we rode up Hoosier Pass, our highest climb on the whole trip at some 11,500 feet. It was a good climb with switchbacks and it felt great to be at the top where the air is so thin and pure! Then it was down down down at high speeds before we had to climb a few more passes. That day, Paul and I decided to bust ahead of the group for our first century of this trip, and we did 100 miles into Canon City. The people in Canon City were absolutely unfriendly and creepy, so that kind of sucked. From Canon City to Pueblo, the temps have been scorching hot, the people have been jerks, and Paul and I decided that eastern Colorado pretty much SUCKS! We've also heard horrible things about Kansas, Missouri, and Kentucky from cyclists heading west, so I'm bummed that there's not much to look forward to until Virginia.
Yesterday was the first day in the 41 days that I've been on this trip that I was feeling down and ready for it to be over. Frustrations with asshole drivers, rude people, and trouble finding a place to sleep all added up for me. But today the rest of the group showed up at the city park where we ended up being able to camp in Pueblo which was a relief since we didn't hear from them for a day and a half since Paul and I shot ahead and I'm feeling rejuvenated after my run this morning. Linus also cleaned and tightened my rear cassette and helped me change my chain, so I'm excited. It'll be like riding a whole new bike!
Tomorrow we head to Ordway, CO where we hope to stay with a woman from New Zealand who we've heard puts up cyclists. She lets them camp in her yard, do laundry, use internet, etc. Then it's on to Kansas. Wish us well with those winds!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Oh, what a day!
Okay, forget that bit about not hearing from me until Colorado. I'm am writing from the public library in Dubois, WY, and I have 20 minutes to do it, so here goes...
Today was our first bout with bad weather. We started with a cool, overcast morning, and as we gained elevation, it got colder and colder. Today we summitted our highest pass yet, and the second highest we will do all trip. I rode almost 15 miles on a 6% grade, and then had an additional 9 miles to the summit on a slightly lesser grade. When I got to the top (the others were ahead of me, except Bryan, who was behind), I hear thunder off in the distance, so I suited up for a cold, wet ride down. On the descent, I encountered some rain, but nothing too bad. Then there was about 6 miles of road construction where the road was nothing but gravel. Ugh, riding on gravel sucks. Well, at one of the flagger stops, this couple, Phyllis and Jerry, offered to drive me in their pickup to where the pavement started again, so I graciously accepted (turns out the pilot car was going to drive me through anyway). So, we're riding along, and when we hit the pavement, it starts pouring, and they were going to stop for lunch in Dubois, and offered to drive me all the way to Dubois. I first said, "No, I'd prefer to ride," but when the rain hit hard, I said "Oh, you can just keep driving." Then I saw Paul, Kev, and Nix up ahead, so I got out to ride with them. That's when the rain turned to bloody hail. (That bloody bit is some more of the British influence. By the way, I'm learning loads of new terms like knackered, shagged out, sod you, etc.) So, we got hailed on the last 20 odd miles into Dubois. It stung a little, but I survived. It is cold here and I went to an outdoor gear store here and got a pair of neoprene socks at a $5 discount, because the woman at the store really liked me. You all know how that charm works :o).
What else is new? We took two rest days in West Yellostone, rented a car and drove all around Yellowstone, where I saw Old Faithful erupt, lots of other geysers and thermal springs, an amazing canyon and waterfalls, lots of buffalo, bald eagles, coyotes, foxes, and elk. What a beautiful place. We also drove through Grand Teton National Forest and down to Jackson Hole. The Tetons, Jenny Lake, and Jackson Lake are spectacular sights as well. I also finally got to see a moose!
Yesterday as we left Yellowstone, Paul, Bryan, and I stopped and jumped off a 30 foot high cliff into Moose Falls. It was AWESOME!!!
Today while climbing the pass I met a guy named Jesse who had started riding in Virginia on May 2, and was making killer time: high mileage, no rest days. He lives in Berkeley in a cycling friendly co-housing set up. I got his contact info, and he told me to come visit when I move to Palo Alto in September. Yay for a new friend!
That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure I'm forgetting tons. We should be crossing the border into Colorado in about 5 more days. Now we're moving!
Oh, yes, Bryan's girlfriend has been sending him care packages to post offices along our route. I'm wondering where my boxes of brownies and cookies are! Kidding, kidding.
Today was our first bout with bad weather. We started with a cool, overcast morning, and as we gained elevation, it got colder and colder. Today we summitted our highest pass yet, and the second highest we will do all trip. I rode almost 15 miles on a 6% grade, and then had an additional 9 miles to the summit on a slightly lesser grade. When I got to the top (the others were ahead of me, except Bryan, who was behind), I hear thunder off in the distance, so I suited up for a cold, wet ride down. On the descent, I encountered some rain, but nothing too bad. Then there was about 6 miles of road construction where the road was nothing but gravel. Ugh, riding on gravel sucks. Well, at one of the flagger stops, this couple, Phyllis and Jerry, offered to drive me in their pickup to where the pavement started again, so I graciously accepted (turns out the pilot car was going to drive me through anyway). So, we're riding along, and when we hit the pavement, it starts pouring, and they were going to stop for lunch in Dubois, and offered to drive me all the way to Dubois. I first said, "No, I'd prefer to ride," but when the rain hit hard, I said "Oh, you can just keep driving." Then I saw Paul, Kev, and Nix up ahead, so I got out to ride with them. That's when the rain turned to bloody hail. (That bloody bit is some more of the British influence. By the way, I'm learning loads of new terms like knackered, shagged out, sod you, etc.) So, we got hailed on the last 20 odd miles into Dubois. It stung a little, but I survived. It is cold here and I went to an outdoor gear store here and got a pair of neoprene socks at a $5 discount, because the woman at the store really liked me. You all know how that charm works :o).
What else is new? We took two rest days in West Yellostone, rented a car and drove all around Yellowstone, where I saw Old Faithful erupt, lots of other geysers and thermal springs, an amazing canyon and waterfalls, lots of buffalo, bald eagles, coyotes, foxes, and elk. What a beautiful place. We also drove through Grand Teton National Forest and down to Jackson Hole. The Tetons, Jenny Lake, and Jackson Lake are spectacular sights as well. I also finally got to see a moose!
Yesterday as we left Yellowstone, Paul, Bryan, and I stopped and jumped off a 30 foot high cliff into Moose Falls. It was AWESOME!!!
Today while climbing the pass I met a guy named Jesse who had started riding in Virginia on May 2, and was making killer time: high mileage, no rest days. He lives in Berkeley in a cycling friendly co-housing set up. I got his contact info, and he told me to come visit when I move to Palo Alto in September. Yay for a new friend!
That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure I'm forgetting tons. We should be crossing the border into Colorado in about 5 more days. Now we're moving!
Oh, yes, Bryan's girlfriend has been sending him care packages to post offices along our route. I'm wondering where my boxes of brownies and cookies are! Kidding, kidding.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Finally some photos for you
As I was riding along today for 75 miles in the most viscious headwind over two mountain passes, I thought about some of the things I forgot to mention in my blog, and since I only have 30 minutes on this computer, I'm going to go through those.
Amongst the shorlines, rivers, and majestic mountain views, there have been lot of really cool bird sightings from cranes to hawks to magpies to red-wing blackbirds to magpies battling hawks.
The other day when I was riding to Kooskia, ID, I noticed some dude with two bikes on top of his car and a professional type camera taking photos of me. I pulled out at the next turnout and talked to him. His name is Chuck and his photos are often published in Adventure Cycling magazine. I signed a model release, and he just sent me the link to the photos. This is the link to his website; you have to scroll down to see the photos he posted of me. http://www.agpix.com/platform/AGPix_chaney/?platform_num=
Oh, yes, and hats off to the best health food store I've encountered yet on this trip: The Good Food Store in Missoula, MT. It was HUGE, as big as a Whole Foods, yet nicely independent. And, it is by far the most affordable health food store I have ever been to, EVER. I drank two Kombuchas (in two days = one a day) and enjoyed fresh organic produce, a nice bulk selection, a tempeh sandwich, and 75 cent vegan brownies (take that, Sevananda!)
We camped in Sula after we left Missoula, and I met Sean there. He lives near Lake Tahoe, and was taking his two week vacation away in his RV in Montana. He was a very handsome and seemingly noble man. He gave me a whole bottle of red wine to share with the group from Karly Winery. He gave it to me even before he knew my name, and I said, "woah, that's my name!" The next morning when I left, he gave me a really great hug, and watched me ride away. I didn't leave any contact info, but all the way up that steep mountain pass that day, I felt like I had just missed the opportunity to have a new friend. I also realized that I have been seriously hug deprived on this trip, and I really need a really good hug, or a few! By the way, that pass that day was our highest pass yet, on the Continental Divide. Woohoo!
We saw Clive again in Wisdom, MT and we rode with him to Jackson, MT where we slept last night. He predicted that our group would split, and he had to rub it in a little. Our group is now down to 5: Me, Paul, Bryan, Nix, and Kevin. Michael has branched off to ride the Northern Tier. Ken is on his own schedule, and Jay just can't keep up and may be changing his plans for his trip. I wish the best to them all.
I almost got slammed head on by some jackass driving a Doritos truck today. He decided to move into my lane to pass an SUV, which gave him no clearance, and I was 6 inches aways from grill splatter. That's the first thing all trip that really got my heart racing in a "woah that freaked me out" kind of way. Therfore, I say, BOYCOTT DORITOS!!! Not only are they laden with processed cheese and chemical madness, but a truck that delivers them to your favorite junk food retailer nearly took me out!
Tonight, we camp at the fairgrounds in Twin Bridges, and then in 2 days, we will be in West Yellowstone. After that, we will cross into Wyoming and spend a couple days in Yellowstone, then spur down for a day and a half in Jackson, WY to check out the Grand Tetons. Then it's onward to Colorado. Chances are I won't have much contact between now and Colorado. Hopefully I'll see a grizzly and a moose without getting mauled...
Amongst the shorlines, rivers, and majestic mountain views, there have been lot of really cool bird sightings from cranes to hawks to magpies to red-wing blackbirds to magpies battling hawks.
The other day when I was riding to Kooskia, ID, I noticed some dude with two bikes on top of his car and a professional type camera taking photos of me. I pulled out at the next turnout and talked to him. His name is Chuck and his photos are often published in Adventure Cycling magazine. I signed a model release, and he just sent me the link to the photos. This is the link to his website; you have to scroll down to see the photos he posted of me. http://www.agpix.com/platform/AGPix_chaney/?platform_num=
Oh, yes, and hats off to the best health food store I've encountered yet on this trip: The Good Food Store in Missoula, MT. It was HUGE, as big as a Whole Foods, yet nicely independent. And, it is by far the most affordable health food store I have ever been to, EVER. I drank two Kombuchas (in two days = one a day) and enjoyed fresh organic produce, a nice bulk selection, a tempeh sandwich, and 75 cent vegan brownies (take that, Sevananda!)
We camped in Sula after we left Missoula, and I met Sean there. He lives near Lake Tahoe, and was taking his two week vacation away in his RV in Montana. He was a very handsome and seemingly noble man. He gave me a whole bottle of red wine to share with the group from Karly Winery. He gave it to me even before he knew my name, and I said, "woah, that's my name!" The next morning when I left, he gave me a really great hug, and watched me ride away. I didn't leave any contact info, but all the way up that steep mountain pass that day, I felt like I had just missed the opportunity to have a new friend. I also realized that I have been seriously hug deprived on this trip, and I really need a really good hug, or a few! By the way, that pass that day was our highest pass yet, on the Continental Divide. Woohoo!
We saw Clive again in Wisdom, MT and we rode with him to Jackson, MT where we slept last night. He predicted that our group would split, and he had to rub it in a little. Our group is now down to 5: Me, Paul, Bryan, Nix, and Kevin. Michael has branched off to ride the Northern Tier. Ken is on his own schedule, and Jay just can't keep up and may be changing his plans for his trip. I wish the best to them all.
I almost got slammed head on by some jackass driving a Doritos truck today. He decided to move into my lane to pass an SUV, which gave him no clearance, and I was 6 inches aways from grill splatter. That's the first thing all trip that really got my heart racing in a "woah that freaked me out" kind of way. Therfore, I say, BOYCOTT DORITOS!!! Not only are they laden with processed cheese and chemical madness, but a truck that delivers them to your favorite junk food retailer nearly took me out!
Tonight, we camp at the fairgrounds in Twin Bridges, and then in 2 days, we will be in West Yellowstone. After that, we will cross into Wyoming and spend a couple days in Yellowstone, then spur down for a day and a half in Jackson, WY to check out the Grand Tetons. Then it's onward to Colorado. Chances are I won't have much contact between now and Colorado. Hopefully I'll see a grizzly and a moose without getting mauled...
Sunday, May 27, 2007
I almost killed Paul, but I'm in Missoula now, so it's okay
Okay, so I didn't really almost kill Paul. The story goes like this: we were leaving New Meadows, ID and as we were cruising along, with Paul drafting closer behind me than I realized, I looked up and saw the sign reading "45th Parallel / Halfway between the Equator and the North Pole." I got so excited, that I slowed down and said "Wow! Check it out," but I slowed down too quickly or Paul was in the zone or for whatever reason, he ran right into my trailor and went down. His fork and front wheel were so much like a taco, you could eat them. I got on the phone to the bike shop/outdoor gear shop we had just been to in New Meadows, and the owners, Jen and Gordy were incredibly nice and helpful and rescued us. Thank God we were both okay, and my bike was unharmed. Paul took a bus to Missoula the next day and I kept riding to stay with Kev, Nix, and Bryan.
So...in the past few days, we blasted through Idaho, largely through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and into Montana today. Right now I'm chilling in a hotel room that Paul, Bryan and I are sharing in Missoula. Tomorrow is a rest day and then we head on to Sula on Tuesday. We should be in Yellowstone in five days.
Some cool things that have happened lately:
*Sue in Kooskia, ID let us sleep in the Presbyterian church, and I snagged the couch before the others!
*While riding along the Lochsa River, Bryan scored a chance to go rafting. I wish I could've gone, but having no rafting experience, I decided it was best to wait for another opportunity. Although, I'm sure that rafting with a bunch of guys who had been drinking beer all day might have been a fun and daring experience.
*The worst camp host ever ran me around the Wilderness Gateway campground, climbing hills with my fully loaded bike to try to snag a site at the full campground when there were tent sites available right in the first loop. That obviously was not so cool, but the cool part was that although hungry, sun-burnt, and frustrated, I met Justin and Leah (they stole the site I was racing to claim). Justin is a cyclist from Missoula and gave me some insight for Lolo Pass, which we easily conquered the next day. Then later, the people who had rented out all of A Loop let us camp there and they were so generous and gave us lots of cold beverages. Kev took the beer, and I snagged some juice.
*Yesterday, while descending Lolo Pass at God knows how many MPH, a deer jumped in the road right in front of me. I had to brake as hard as I could without going over. The deer freaked and stumbled right there in the road, and I came about two feet away from hitting it. I didn't even freak out, but I was hoping the poor deer's leg was okay because it came down pretty hard on its haunch when it tripped. Kevin was behind me and he said the deer seemed fine, as it ran off. He thought I had clipped it with my front wheel, but if that had happened, I'd surely be in a hospital right now. Yes, you may admire my awesome bike-handling skills.
My deeper thought: I've been really recognizing the difference between what I need and what makes life just a little more comfortable. I started to come to this realization back in Otis, OR when I sent a seven pound ditch box to Molly (thanks Molly!) I need to send another ditch box from Missoula on Tuesday morning before I leave town. I think I'm really getting down to the bare bones of what I need. That feels good.
I think that's it for now. Oh, the Missoula REI managed to take $120 away from me today. Why does that happen every time I walk into an REI? Speak of needs, eh!
So...in the past few days, we blasted through Idaho, largely through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and into Montana today. Right now I'm chilling in a hotel room that Paul, Bryan and I are sharing in Missoula. Tomorrow is a rest day and then we head on to Sula on Tuesday. We should be in Yellowstone in five days.
Some cool things that have happened lately:
*Sue in Kooskia, ID let us sleep in the Presbyterian church, and I snagged the couch before the others!
*While riding along the Lochsa River, Bryan scored a chance to go rafting. I wish I could've gone, but having no rafting experience, I decided it was best to wait for another opportunity. Although, I'm sure that rafting with a bunch of guys who had been drinking beer all day might have been a fun and daring experience.
*The worst camp host ever ran me around the Wilderness Gateway campground, climbing hills with my fully loaded bike to try to snag a site at the full campground when there were tent sites available right in the first loop. That obviously was not so cool, but the cool part was that although hungry, sun-burnt, and frustrated, I met Justin and Leah (they stole the site I was racing to claim). Justin is a cyclist from Missoula and gave me some insight for Lolo Pass, which we easily conquered the next day. Then later, the people who had rented out all of A Loop let us camp there and they were so generous and gave us lots of cold beverages. Kev took the beer, and I snagged some juice.
*Yesterday, while descending Lolo Pass at God knows how many MPH, a deer jumped in the road right in front of me. I had to brake as hard as I could without going over. The deer freaked and stumbled right there in the road, and I came about two feet away from hitting it. I didn't even freak out, but I was hoping the poor deer's leg was okay because it came down pretty hard on its haunch when it tripped. Kevin was behind me and he said the deer seemed fine, as it ran off. He thought I had clipped it with my front wheel, but if that had happened, I'd surely be in a hospital right now. Yes, you may admire my awesome bike-handling skills.
My deeper thought: I've been really recognizing the difference between what I need and what makes life just a little more comfortable. I started to come to this realization back in Otis, OR when I sent a seven pound ditch box to Molly (thanks Molly!) I need to send another ditch box from Missoula on Tuesday morning before I leave town. I think I'm really getting down to the bare bones of what I need. That feels good.
I think that's it for now. Oh, the Missoula REI managed to take $120 away from me today. Why does that happen every time I walk into an REI? Speak of needs, eh!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
While the others soak in the hot springs, I'm blogging :-/
Hey all,
I'm stopped in New Meadows, ID. Yes, we crossed into Idaho yesterday!!! I have 35 miles yet to ride to camp, but Kev and Nix decided to stop for a soak in the hot springs nearby. I decided to forgo the $7 fee and write to you all from the public library instead.
I first want to give a huge thank you to Christine and Marisa for putting us up in Baker City. How incredibly nice and what awesome people! If either of you are reading this, I'm serious about visiting the bay area!!! Also, in Baker, I met this really cool guy, Mike, who rides an all carbon Discovery Team Trek. That thing is light! Too bad he couldn't ride with us.
Oh, and for the photos, you'll just have to wait and watch my slide show because I tried to put some online at Christine's and it took forever. I got a few up on myspace before the computer crashed on me. So I said forget it!
Yesterday, Paul, Kevin, Nicola, and I busted an additional 22 miles out of Cambridge, ID all the way to Council, giving us an 80 mile day and splitting us from the group. Bryan is going to catch up with us today, but we may have lost Ken, Michael, and Jay at least until Yellowstone. Oh, I have to mention that that last 22 miles was against the most viscious headwind yet. We were lucky if we were pushing 9 or 10 miles an hour. We passed a sign that said Speed Limit 60 MPH, and I was riding behind Paul, and I said, "Jesus, Paul, do the damn speed limit!"
We had something of a headwind today, but not quite as bad as yesterday. We've got 35 miles to Riggins where we're camping. Then, we have a HUGE pass tomorrow and then down through Grangeville. After that, 2 more days, and we should be rolling into Missoula, Montana on Saturday afternoon/evening. Missoula is our next rest day, and I'm excited to see the town.
As for deep thoughts, I don't have many. On one of the long steep climbs, I did realize that, as a scholar, I must be a philosopher. Otherwise, I don't do much profound thinking!
Also forgot to mention that Bill was unable to join us at Ochoco due to a last minute crisis, so there is no new character profile.
That's all I can think about right now...more from Missoula!
I'm stopped in New Meadows, ID. Yes, we crossed into Idaho yesterday!!! I have 35 miles yet to ride to camp, but Kev and Nix decided to stop for a soak in the hot springs nearby. I decided to forgo the $7 fee and write to you all from the public library instead.
I first want to give a huge thank you to Christine and Marisa for putting us up in Baker City. How incredibly nice and what awesome people! If either of you are reading this, I'm serious about visiting the bay area!!! Also, in Baker, I met this really cool guy, Mike, who rides an all carbon Discovery Team Trek. That thing is light! Too bad he couldn't ride with us.
Oh, and for the photos, you'll just have to wait and watch my slide show because I tried to put some online at Christine's and it took forever. I got a few up on myspace before the computer crashed on me. So I said forget it!
Yesterday, Paul, Kevin, Nicola, and I busted an additional 22 miles out of Cambridge, ID all the way to Council, giving us an 80 mile day and splitting us from the group. Bryan is going to catch up with us today, but we may have lost Ken, Michael, and Jay at least until Yellowstone. Oh, I have to mention that that last 22 miles was against the most viscious headwind yet. We were lucky if we were pushing 9 or 10 miles an hour. We passed a sign that said Speed Limit 60 MPH, and I was riding behind Paul, and I said, "Jesus, Paul, do the damn speed limit!"
We had something of a headwind today, but not quite as bad as yesterday. We've got 35 miles to Riggins where we're camping. Then, we have a HUGE pass tomorrow and then down through Grangeville. After that, 2 more days, and we should be rolling into Missoula, Montana on Saturday afternoon/evening. Missoula is our next rest day, and I'm excited to see the town.
As for deep thoughts, I don't have many. On one of the long steep climbs, I did realize that, as a scholar, I must be a philosopher. Otherwise, I don't do much profound thinking!
Also forgot to mention that Bill was unable to join us at Ochoco due to a last minute crisis, so there is no new character profile.
That's all I can think about right now...more from Missoula!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
90 miles + 3 mountain passes = 1 long day in the saddle!
Yes, you read that title correctly. But first, let me just say that I LOVE reading your comments to my blog even if I don't always get to respond to them, so please keep writing! (And David, you rock, thanks for the Philly hospitality offer!)
So...today I am in Baker City, OR. Yesterday, Bryan, Paul, and I decided that the piddly 37 miles the rest of the group did was child's play and so we rocked out a full 90 miles over 3 mountain passes over 5000 feet each, and against a headwind, into Baker City. That means we get the day off today while the rest of the group rides the last two mountain passes and into Baker. Last night, we hung out at this local brewpub called Barley Brown's where we ran into Clive, a British cyclist we had met a couple days ago in Mitchell. He brought along two local women, who are really cool, and one of them, Christine, is letting us camp in her backyard tonight and do our laundry for free! She works at a local coffee shop called Mad Matilda's where I am posting this blog from. She's been really great and generous. Thanks, Chrisine!!! Tomorrow, we ride 55 miles to Halfway, OR. Almost to Idaho...
Other Highlights:
*Nicola swallowed a bug a few days ago while singing Paradise City at the top of her lungs on one of our rewarding descents.
*It's been so hot, I've been riding with my jersey unzipped a lot. As a result, on two different occasions while descending, I had some gnarly looking bugs zip right into my jersey and into my sports bra. I had to endure the creepy feeling of them crawling around my cleavage until I got to a good stopping point to shake them out.
*Paul turned his tent on its side the other day to dry before packing it. It was sitting there with the door open, facing up when a bird flew overhead and shat right in his tent.
*We stopped by the John Day Fossil Beds and rode through the Painted Gorge the other day, and the rock formations were absolutely stunning.
*We camped at Ochoco Reservoir a few nights ago and Bryan, Paul, and I got there first, parked our bikes, and ran down to jump in the water. It was take your breath away cold, but it felt refreshing in the afternoon heat. Since it was midday, we were clothed.
*At Ochoco, we met Dave, a 22 year old bike mechanic doing the same route we are, except that he's riding more like 80-90 miles a day. He's fully loaded on a Kona road bike with disc brakes and pulling a two-wheel Burley trailer.
*In Mitchell, we met Clive from England. He's a stockbroker on paid holiday, so he's doing the hotel/B&B thing, traveling with just rear panniers. He's riding as he feels, anywhere from 50-100+ miles a day.
And the biggest highlight of all so far: my tan lines! especially the sandal lines on my feet!
Lots of love!!!
So...today I am in Baker City, OR. Yesterday, Bryan, Paul, and I decided that the piddly 37 miles the rest of the group did was child's play and so we rocked out a full 90 miles over 3 mountain passes over 5000 feet each, and against a headwind, into Baker City. That means we get the day off today while the rest of the group rides the last two mountain passes and into Baker. Last night, we hung out at this local brewpub called Barley Brown's where we ran into Clive, a British cyclist we had met a couple days ago in Mitchell. He brought along two local women, who are really cool, and one of them, Christine, is letting us camp in her backyard tonight and do our laundry for free! She works at a local coffee shop called Mad Matilda's where I am posting this blog from. She's been really great and generous. Thanks, Chrisine!!! Tomorrow, we ride 55 miles to Halfway, OR. Almost to Idaho...
Other Highlights:
*Nicola swallowed a bug a few days ago while singing Paradise City at the top of her lungs on one of our rewarding descents.
*It's been so hot, I've been riding with my jersey unzipped a lot. As a result, on two different occasions while descending, I had some gnarly looking bugs zip right into my jersey and into my sports bra. I had to endure the creepy feeling of them crawling around my cleavage until I got to a good stopping point to shake them out.
*Paul turned his tent on its side the other day to dry before packing it. It was sitting there with the door open, facing up when a bird flew overhead and shat right in his tent.
*We stopped by the John Day Fossil Beds and rode through the Painted Gorge the other day, and the rock formations were absolutely stunning.
*We camped at Ochoco Reservoir a few nights ago and Bryan, Paul, and I got there first, parked our bikes, and ran down to jump in the water. It was take your breath away cold, but it felt refreshing in the afternoon heat. Since it was midday, we were clothed.
*At Ochoco, we met Dave, a 22 year old bike mechanic doing the same route we are, except that he's riding more like 80-90 miles a day. He's fully loaded on a Kona road bike with disc brakes and pulling a two-wheel Burley trailer.
*In Mitchell, we met Clive from England. He's a stockbroker on paid holiday, so he's doing the hotel/B&B thing, traveling with just rear panniers. He's riding as he feels, anywhere from 50-100+ miles a day.
And the biggest highlight of all so far: my tan lines! especially the sandal lines on my feet!
Lots of love!!!
Monday, May 14, 2007
I <3 Eugene and Hot Springs!
There's a lot to catch up on from the past few days...
I guess it was three days ago now that I convinced Bryan and Paul to spur the extra 8 miles into Eugene with me and splurge on a room. I fell in love with Eugene and almost stayed. First, I got the slammin'est vegan pizza at Pizza Research Institute (known as PRI by the locals). I also sampled a couple pints of a local microbrew called The Believer. Then, we wandered over to Sam Bond's Garage, where we saw a rockin' backwoods band: slide guitar, washboard, and drums. There I was with my pants rolled up just past my ankles, my "Love, Peace, and Bicycle Grease" t-shirt, flip-flops, and beanie bouncing around to the jam. And the best part was that everybody was dressed a lot like me and smelled just as bad as I did. The next morning, I tooled around town on my bicycle (wearing the same outfit, flip-flops included) and visited about 4 different bike shops, and the Morning Glory Bakery and Cafe where I loaded up on vegan banana bread, a blueberry scone, peach turnover, and mango crumb cake. I wish I had more time to sit and try the vegan french toast. Anyway, I love love love Eugene for it's bike lanes on every street, vegan-friendliness, woodsy hippie population, multitude of bike shops, cleanliness, and fresh air. Oh and we found a Trader Joes on the way out of town where I stocked up on some hummus (Hey Molly!).
After Eugene we rode close to McKenzie Bridge along the McKenzie River, which was really moving and looked cold, but beautiful. We camped at an RV Park, and the owner, Joan, was nice enough to drive us up through the mountains to some natural hot springs. I was hoping to go starkers in the springs, but the rest of the crew was being prudish. When we got there, it was so crowded with nakey hippies passing the bowl around. I didn't want to create any awkwardness between me and the group, so I stayed in my shorts and sports bra until I just couldn't take it anymore and ripped them off. There were several pools and the water was something like 104 degrees F. There was also an icy cool water flow with a bucket so you could dump it over you and then jump into the hot spring again. That was refreshing! Oh, and don't worry, I got naked, but I didn't hit the bowl!
The next day, all of us but Jay and Ken rode on to summit Santiam Pass, and ride into Sisters. The sun was so hot, yet we were at elevations where there were patches of snow around us. The summit was 4,817 feet. I kind of took the lead and climbed something like 26 miles in 5 hours. I waited for Bryan and Paul to catch up, and we had some spectacular views of Mt. Washington on the way down. We had a 6 mile fairly steep descent, which was awesome! I was going so fast, my eyes were watering. After that we kind of rolled 13 or so more miles into Sisters, where I'm writing from. Today is our rest day. What a great town to rest in! It's a cozy little tourist-y mountain town with a health food store, bike shop, and laundromat. We got a somewhat pricey room at Sisters Motor Lodge, but you can see the Cascades from the window, and it's clean and cozy.
Tomorrow, we ride to Ochoco Reservoir, where Bill will join our group. Still blessed with sun! Happy days!!!
I guess it was three days ago now that I convinced Bryan and Paul to spur the extra 8 miles into Eugene with me and splurge on a room. I fell in love with Eugene and almost stayed. First, I got the slammin'est vegan pizza at Pizza Research Institute (known as PRI by the locals). I also sampled a couple pints of a local microbrew called The Believer. Then, we wandered over to Sam Bond's Garage, where we saw a rockin' backwoods band: slide guitar, washboard, and drums. There I was with my pants rolled up just past my ankles, my "Love, Peace, and Bicycle Grease" t-shirt, flip-flops, and beanie bouncing around to the jam. And the best part was that everybody was dressed a lot like me and smelled just as bad as I did. The next morning, I tooled around town on my bicycle (wearing the same outfit, flip-flops included) and visited about 4 different bike shops, and the Morning Glory Bakery and Cafe where I loaded up on vegan banana bread, a blueberry scone, peach turnover, and mango crumb cake. I wish I had more time to sit and try the vegan french toast. Anyway, I love love love Eugene for it's bike lanes on every street, vegan-friendliness, woodsy hippie population, multitude of bike shops, cleanliness, and fresh air. Oh and we found a Trader Joes on the way out of town where I stocked up on some hummus (Hey Molly!).
After Eugene we rode close to McKenzie Bridge along the McKenzie River, which was really moving and looked cold, but beautiful. We camped at an RV Park, and the owner, Joan, was nice enough to drive us up through the mountains to some natural hot springs. I was hoping to go starkers in the springs, but the rest of the crew was being prudish. When we got there, it was so crowded with nakey hippies passing the bowl around. I didn't want to create any awkwardness between me and the group, so I stayed in my shorts and sports bra until I just couldn't take it anymore and ripped them off. There were several pools and the water was something like 104 degrees F. There was also an icy cool water flow with a bucket so you could dump it over you and then jump into the hot spring again. That was refreshing! Oh, and don't worry, I got naked, but I didn't hit the bowl!
The next day, all of us but Jay and Ken rode on to summit Santiam Pass, and ride into Sisters. The sun was so hot, yet we were at elevations where there were patches of snow around us. The summit was 4,817 feet. I kind of took the lead and climbed something like 26 miles in 5 hours. I waited for Bryan and Paul to catch up, and we had some spectacular views of Mt. Washington on the way down. We had a 6 mile fairly steep descent, which was awesome! I was going so fast, my eyes were watering. After that we kind of rolled 13 or so more miles into Sisters, where I'm writing from. Today is our rest day. What a great town to rest in! It's a cozy little tourist-y mountain town with a health food store, bike shop, and laundromat. We got a somewhat pricey room at Sisters Motor Lodge, but you can see the Cascades from the window, and it's clean and cozy.
Tomorrow, we ride to Ochoco Reservoir, where Bill will join our group. Still blessed with sun! Happy days!!!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Kickin' It in Salem, OR
Hello! First let me tell you how ecstatic I am over my new gearing. I think if I had to climb out of Tillamook on Three Capes Scenic Route without those gears, my bike would be in a box and I would be crying on an airplane bound for Atlanta. But no! Here I am at the library in Salem, OR. Today was an easy breezy 40 miles, not too many rough climbs. However, on one of the climbs today I thought that there's absolutely nothing more exhilarating than climbing a mountain for over an hour and descending it in less than 5 minutes.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand, so Bryan (you'll learn about him later) and I cruised ahead of the group and got into camp just after 1 pm, after sleeping in a little and leaving camp about 45 minutes after the other. That's the nice thing about being one of the stronger riders -- you can loaf around in the morning, and still catch up within a couple hours. By the way, great weather so far -- no rain, sunny, but cool (hot at times). Had some mist in one of the rain forests, but it was refreshing and beautiful!
We're camping in Rickreall tonight at the Polk County Fairgrounds. We set up camp, several of the others came rolling in about a half hour later, and I dropped my heavy gear and trailer, and then rode the 10 mile spur into Salem with Kevin and Paul. In Salem, we stopped at a bike shop where I bought spare brake shoes for the descents in the Rockies (just in case!), and then Paul and I rode three miles uphill against the wind to get to Life Source Natural Foods, which was like being in heaven again. I drank a Divine Grape Kombucha, so invigorating! (I also got a piece of Vegan Nutty Chocolate Cake...hey, I earned it!) I loved the store, it was a decent size, and I was chatting up the staff there who were all super nice people.
Now back to the cast. As I was riding today, I was thinking about how Bryan and I had talked about how we can sort of typecast people in the group a la The Real World. It's rather entertaining, and I like everyone (so far), so it's in good fun.
Here's who I'm crossing the country with:
Bryan: 24 year old surfer dude from Wilmington, NC. Likes to use words like "rad," "stoked," and "pumped." He's also a tri-athlete and one of the strongest riders.
Paul: 33 (?) year old nice guy from Utah (folks in Pennsylvania), sort of softspoken, into the environment, outdoorsy type.
Jay: The loafer. In his 30's I think. Always eating, but skinny as a rail. Has all the wrong equipment, tends to forget things. He's already left several things behind at campsites, and was riding for a while with his pannier bags wide open, buckles flapping in the breeze.
Kevin: 44 year old zany British dude. Always chatting with everyone along the way, absolutely hilarious. As Nicola would say, "a bit of a nutter, but a nutter with a good heart"
Nicola: 29 (?) year old British woman. Artist, always journaling, mild-mannered, but I've glimpsed her rough edges (yesterday she handed me a pair of her undies to throw in the dryer at the RV park.
Ken: The old retired dude who loves to talk and thinks nothing of farting even when he's standing with his arse in your face while you're sitting down eating. But he's done a great job filling in our itinerary and calling ahead to campgrounds.
Michael: 49 year old laid back and softspoken, unless you get into politics, then watch out!
Me: 24 year old metro new-agey girl. I think I'm the only one not carrying deodorant, and I'm certainly the only one who doesn't enjoy ice cream or beef jerky.
And that's it for today, folks. Should be heading back to camp soon before sunfall. 64 miles to Eugene tomorrow.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand, so Bryan (you'll learn about him later) and I cruised ahead of the group and got into camp just after 1 pm, after sleeping in a little and leaving camp about 45 minutes after the other. That's the nice thing about being one of the stronger riders -- you can loaf around in the morning, and still catch up within a couple hours. By the way, great weather so far -- no rain, sunny, but cool (hot at times). Had some mist in one of the rain forests, but it was refreshing and beautiful!
We're camping in Rickreall tonight at the Polk County Fairgrounds. We set up camp, several of the others came rolling in about a half hour later, and I dropped my heavy gear and trailer, and then rode the 10 mile spur into Salem with Kevin and Paul. In Salem, we stopped at a bike shop where I bought spare brake shoes for the descents in the Rockies (just in case!), and then Paul and I rode three miles uphill against the wind to get to Life Source Natural Foods, which was like being in heaven again. I drank a Divine Grape Kombucha, so invigorating! (I also got a piece of Vegan Nutty Chocolate Cake...hey, I earned it!) I loved the store, it was a decent size, and I was chatting up the staff there who were all super nice people.
Now back to the cast. As I was riding today, I was thinking about how Bryan and I had talked about how we can sort of typecast people in the group a la The Real World. It's rather entertaining, and I like everyone (so far), so it's in good fun.
Here's who I'm crossing the country with:
Bryan: 24 year old surfer dude from Wilmington, NC. Likes to use words like "rad," "stoked," and "pumped." He's also a tri-athlete and one of the strongest riders.
Paul: 33 (?) year old nice guy from Utah (folks in Pennsylvania), sort of softspoken, into the environment, outdoorsy type.
Jay: The loafer. In his 30's I think. Always eating, but skinny as a rail. Has all the wrong equipment, tends to forget things. He's already left several things behind at campsites, and was riding for a while with his pannier bags wide open, buckles flapping in the breeze.
Kevin: 44 year old zany British dude. Always chatting with everyone along the way, absolutely hilarious. As Nicola would say, "a bit of a nutter, but a nutter with a good heart"
Nicola: 29 (?) year old British woman. Artist, always journaling, mild-mannered, but I've glimpsed her rough edges (yesterday she handed me a pair of her undies to throw in the dryer at the RV park.
Ken: The old retired dude who loves to talk and thinks nothing of farting even when he's standing with his arse in your face while you're sitting down eating. But he's done a great job filling in our itinerary and calling ahead to campgrounds.
Michael: 49 year old laid back and softspoken, unless you get into politics, then watch out!
Me: 24 year old metro new-agey girl. I think I'm the only one not carrying deodorant, and I'm certainly the only one who doesn't enjoy ice cream or beef jerky.
And that's it for today, folks. Should be heading back to camp soon before sunfall. 64 miles to Eugene tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
20 miles from camp, Day 2
Well, well, well. Here I am in my second day of riding and I have tons and tons to write and very little time to write it. So, I'll make it short. Right now, we are in Tillamook, OR (famous for their cheese -- perfect for a vegan like me!). We have about 20 miles to ride to Cape Lookout to camp tonight. Yesterday was beautiful, but the hills were very challenging. I was feeling the burn...man, I was indeed. I found myself envious of the others riding a wider range of gears. So, right now my bike is at the local shop in Tillamook getting a new rear cassette and rear derailleur, which is going to cost me around $125 dollars, but will probably save my knees through the Cascades and Rockies. I know you are all raising money for me back home, so I'm not worried about running up my credit card right now :o). Another rider is riding a similar setup to me (racing bike with compact double crank, 9 speed rear cassette, and bloody heavy trailer), so he's getting his gearing swapped too, and we'll ride to camp together if the others decide not to wait for our bike mechanic to eat lunch. Oh, that bloody bit came from the influence of the two Brits I'm riding with. Quite nice people, they are. Actually, the whole group is quite fun, very dynamic personalities, but all great people. I'm having a blast and I'm safe (if you were worried). I got some stunning shots of the landscape, and I may soon have posting capabilities, so look for photos to come. Until next time, keep stockpiling that cash gift for my return. Just kidding, I would much prefer your warm welcome back hugs!
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Tomorrow I Fly to Portland!
My eyes are stinging both from lack of sleep and from crying for a good portion of the day. It was so hard for me to believe that my uncle is really gone from this planet, and today, I guess I had some sort of closure. Although, my mind still can't completely wrap around it; there was a moment during the service where I was really hoping he'd sit up and say, "Wait, they got the wrong guy. I'm back!" Of course everyone has their time... He occupies a big space in my heart, and I know I'll be thinking about him a lot as I ride. As much as I would have loved to stick around and visit with the family, I'm determined to continue on according to plan.
So...I will wake up around 4:30 am on Sunday to catch the first flight to Portland via Denver. Today I learned that my bike and trailer are safe and sound in Portland, and we even saved some money on the rental truck that will take us to Astoria, which is all good news.
It will probably be several more days before I am able to post again. I just want to thank all the people who helped me get stuff squared away in Atlanta, be it logistical or emotional support. Also, thanks for all the well-wishing words, emails, phone calls, and text messages. My friends are great! I love you all.
I start pedaling Monday morning at 9am Pacific time. If you think of it at that time, do a little shout out, or at least just help me hope that I can make it over the first major climb in the Cascades without collapsing or losing my trailer. (I didn't really practice pulling my trailer, oops!)
Putting my Faith in the Universe...
So...I will wake up around 4:30 am on Sunday to catch the first flight to Portland via Denver. Today I learned that my bike and trailer are safe and sound in Portland, and we even saved some money on the rental truck that will take us to Astoria, which is all good news.
It will probably be several more days before I am able to post again. I just want to thank all the people who helped me get stuff squared away in Atlanta, be it logistical or emotional support. Also, thanks for all the well-wishing words, emails, phone calls, and text messages. My friends are great! I love you all.
I start pedaling Monday morning at 9am Pacific time. If you think of it at that time, do a little shout out, or at least just help me hope that I can make it over the first major climb in the Cascades without collapsing or losing my trailer. (I didn't really practice pulling my trailer, oops!)
Putting my Faith in the Universe...
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Welcome! This is my blog.
Hello and welcome to my blog about my cross-country bicycle ride. I have never blogged before, so I hope I am doing a sufficient job. I leave Atlanta on Friday, May 4. I will spend two days in Akron/Cleveland, OH before I fly to Portland, OR on Sunday, May 6. I will meet up with a good old friend of mine who has graciously received the shipment of my bike and trailer. I will (in a rush) put my bike together, and then meet up with 2 other riders to carpool in a rental pickup truck to Astoria, OR. We will then meet up with 4 other people for dinner that night, and then get a good night's rest (hopefully) at a hostel in town. On Monday, May 7, we will start pedaling out of Astoria at 9 am. As I pass through towns with wifi connectivity, I will keep you posted on the adventures and misadventures of my trip. My final destination is Savannah, GA. I estimate that the whole trip will last three and a half months. I won't be able to upload photos as I go, so you'll have to ask me for them when I return. (Gives you a reason to talk to me!) I have always been told that I am a great writer, so hopefully I can paint a picture for you with my words. Sure...
Well, until next time...full speed ahead!
Well, until next time...full speed ahead!
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