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...

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!

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!

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!!!

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!!!

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.

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!

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...

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!