Diana's Big Ride

All my bags are packed . . .

2008-08-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

I'm ready to go (home) . . . I think.

For the last seven weeks, my life was reduced to basic needs:

-Food: LOTS of it and ALL the time, and calories and nutritional value were not always the most important factors. Ice cream once or twice a day was not only normal, but desirable! When we found out that we got to eat dinner in a dorm: "OH BOY!!"

-Liquid: all kinds of liquids, and the colder, the better . . . pitchers of water, all you can drink pop, more chocolate milk than I've drunk in my whole life (for recovery purposes only, of course!), weak Gatorade which was de riguer at all Big Ride water stops . . .

-Shelter: A dry tent was home. Staying in a dorm room was like staying at a four-star hotel.

-Cue Sheets: These were our daily guides for living. Where were we, where are we, and where are we going? Look at the cue sheet. What day is it? The cue sheet will say. The burning question that all Big Riders would ask each morning was, "What time will cue sheets be handed out?"

-Outlets: When a Big Rider arrives in camp each afternoon, one of the first things he/she looks for (sometimes before searching for food, liquid, and a tent space) are electrical outlets. Any available outlet would quickly have cell phones, Garmins, and/or camera batteries plugged into it. Hordes of internet addicts would be huddled with their laptops around all available power sources.

-Towels: Yes, towels. Most of us used quick-drying camp towels, which only have one redeeming quality. They dry quickly. They dry themselves quickly. They do not dry a person quickly or satisfactorally. It's more like smearing the water around on your wet body, so any time we had a chance to use a real towel, it was a luxury!

Now, I'm at BWI (Baltimore airport), waiting for my flight home, and I've found an outlet. I'm fighting the urge to drink chocolate milk and eat massive quantities of high quality airport food. When I get home, will I be able to handle clean bath towels and a real bed? And all the outlets . . .

This group of 37 Big Riders was diverse. Our ages ranged from 19 to 69, we came from all over the country (Ash and Pauline came from Canada!), and we came with all levels of cycling abilities and experiences, but we all had one thing in common: The desire to do something amazing and to raise funds for a worthy organization.

We all accomplished our goals! We ALL rode all the way across the country on our bicycles!!!

I tended to ride with the same group of riders most days, and their pictures were featured often in this blog. There were many other riders, though, who were too fast for me, so other than hearing an "On your left, Diana," I rarely saw them during the day. Here they are:

Ed (and Mark)
Bob, Darrell, Cliff, and Bruce
Steven, DeWayne, and Chad
Noah
Austin and Rueben
Simon
James
The two Pattys: Patty Campbell and Patty Harm
Stephanie
Greg
Kevin and Jim
and Brendan

It was an amazing ride. Thank you all!

Day 48! The Final Day of the Big Ride!

2008-08-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

Clarksburg, MD to Washington, DC - 55.7 miles, 4:24

Other than the fact that I woke WAY too early, surprised to still be in my tent, the day started out perfectly! It was dry, and there wasn't even any dew, so we were all able to pack up dry tents. That was important to me, because I knew that as soon as we reached the finish line I'd be putting my gear bag on the truck to be taken to Seattle. I didn't want to pick up a mildewy tent!

Our cue sheet said that this was a 53 mile ride, but we had time deadlines today, so there was no stopping. I didn't even take any pictures along the route. I didn't want to be late!

We rode along back roads (as usual) past farms, large houses, really large horse stables, and up and down Pennsylvania-like hills as we pedaled toward our final destination. As we crossed the Beltway (the freeway loop around suburban Washington, D.C.) the farmland disappeared and the houses became even more mansion-like. No surprise -- we were along River Road, heading toward Potomac, MD.

It was a beautiful, unseasonably cool Saturday morning, and as we were heading south, we passed large groups of cyclists heading in the other direction, out for their weekend rides. Some were friendly, but others were too cool to say "hi" to us. I wanted to ask, "Hey, how many miles did YOU ride this week, and where were YOU last Sunday?", but I realized that I didn't know where I was last Sunday, so I kept quiet. (I still have Big Ride-induced brain damage, and I'll need to check this blog or my old cue sheets to find out what I did this summer.)

Anyway, soon we reached the Capital Crescent Trail, a great pedestrian/bike path that was a former railroad. After letting the locals know that I wasn't from around here ("Which way to D.C.?"), we were off! After weeks of riding along quiet rural roads, cycling on a trail packed with runners, walkers, cyclists, baby strollers, dogs on leashes, and government workers was challenging . . .

On that trail there is NO Welcome to Washington, D.C. sign, so I have no real proof that I'm really here. You'll just have to take my word for it.

I'm in Washington, D.C. (There. It's on the internet now, so it's got to be true, right?)

So, the trail finally ended and we worked our way along busy D.C. streets to the Old Post Office Pavilion for a really great lunch provided by former Big Rider, Costa.
Big Riders enjoy their final Big Ride lunches.

Then, it was time to ride the few blocks to the finish line. Since he'd ridden before, Ash led a large group of us. Hey! Where were the paparazzi? Why were the streets not closed? Wasn't this a National Holiday? The Big Riders had arrived!

There was a small group of enthusiastic friends and family there who cheered as we arrived at the finish line. Charlotte, my good friend from college who now lives in Northern Virginia, was there to meet me.

I did it!

We did it! (I'm in the third row, on the left, still wearing my helmet.)

The day was a full one. I did some sightseeing with Charlotte,went to Ash and Pauline's Big Ride reception in their hotel room, then went to dinner with dozens of other Big Riders and their families.

It's hard to believe that it's over.

Day 47!

2008-08-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Gettysburg, PA to Clarksburg, MD - 50.4 miles, 3:53

It's our penultimate day of riding on the Big Ride!

Since we had a short ride, we had a late breakfast (7:00, instead of 6:00), and we left the campground at about 8:00.

It was a short, pleasant ride to the Mason-Dixon line, which is also the Maryland/Pennsylvania border.

You may not be able to see it, but at the bottom of the Maryland sign it says "Mason." Janet, Tracy, Barb, and I are now in our 12th state!
The route through the early part of the ride took us through gentle rolling hills, past small farms. Sam, Tracy, and Janet are enjoying the ride.
There was a nice little coffee shop in Taneytown, MD, and many of the riders stopped there for coffee. I, of course, had a hot chocolate! Here are Douglas, Jim, and Joe,
Catie, Letty, and Rachel,

Liz and Tracy,
and Liz, Rosie, Tracy, Sam, and Barb.
Our "big" city of the day was Frederick, MD, which has many old, historic buildings and some narrow, residential streets.
After we braved the traffic and got out of congestion, we were back in the country, riding along a hilly road that had almost no shoulder. It was beautiful, but a little scary, since the road was well-used by trucks. Some views of the Maryland countryside:
We passed a lot of "Washington slept here" signs.
We're now in Montgomery County, which is where I lived when I lived in Maryland . . . many, many years ago. I never thought I'd come back by bicycle!

We're at the Little Bennett Park campground for our last night of camping on the Big Ride, and it's wooded and really nice. It reminds me a lot of the campground at Easton, our first night on the Big Ride.

Tomorrow we ride into Washington, DC!

Day 46!

2008-08-07T19:07:00.001-07:00

Rest day in Gettysburg, PA!

Our campground is a couple miles from town, so to get food on our rest day we had to either walk or ride our bikes. I've had a rule about not riding my bike on my rest days (why? because I need a BREAK from that bike seat), but today I had to break it in order to not starve.

Barb, Darrell, and I got our tired legs to pedal us to town for breakfast. We ate at the Lincoln Diner.

After breakfast, Barb and I walked around the downtown area of Gettysburg for a bit. It's got so many great old, historic buildings. There are signs all around downtown that tell and show pictures of what happened at that certain location during the Civil War. Also, any building that was standing during that time also has a small plaque that says "Civil War, 1863." There's a lot to see in downtown Gettysburg.
After Barb and I got some food for both lunch (from Subway) and dinner (from a grocery store), we got back on our bikes for the slow ride back to camp. After lunch, Tracy, Janet, Barb, and I signed up for a 2-hour bus tour of the Gettysburg battlefields. I never knew that the fighting took place over such a large area or over so many days: July 1-3, 1863. The battlefields have been very well preserved, so you can almost imagine what it was like at the time. It was really interesting!

We got back to our cabin minutes, if not seconds, before a strong thunderstorm passed through the area. Some of the young guys were having fun in the rain, as well as zipping up tents of those who were not there. They probably saved a lot of things from getting wet!

Our cabin was called the Silverhorse Saloon. It was great fun!

Janet, posing on the roof!
My cabin mates and I had a great picnic dinner of bread, cheeses, meat, carrots with dip, salad, wine, apples, and cookies. Here are Tracy, Rosie, Barb, Janet, and Liz.
Rosie's posing with Janet's little Eastern Bluebird, EB.
Here we all are in front of our cabin. Don't ask me why we're posing like that! (Tracy, Liz, Rosie, Barb, me, Janet)

Thanks to Tony for taking pictures for all of us. He was juggling six cameras!
Here is the Half Century Club of the Big Ride. These are all the women who are nearly 50 or 50+. Barb, 55, Tracy, 50 on 8/10, Liz, 51, Rosie, 52, Janet, 52, Pauline, 50 on 8/28, and me, 50. They're a great group of women that I'm lucky to know!

Day 45!

2008-08-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

Bedford, PA to Gettysburg, PA - 104.6 miles, 8:50

Our day started early, about 4:30 AM, when a brief, but powerful rainstorm passed through our campground. After about half an hour it stopped, and we were able to pack up our wet tents and start our big day.

Our cue sheet said, "Huge day on the bike. This is the 'final exam'." We'd been told all along how difficult this day would be, and some people who did the ride last year said (in their blogs) that some hills were so steep that people had to walk up them! So, I was worrying about it. Not that I fear hills, or anything . . .

I rode with Patty and Tracy, my great riding partners! We all did it! And, I did it! I passed the final exam. I rode up all the hills without stopping or walking! What does this mean? Am I now so amazingly strong that nothing can stop me?

Or, did they change the route a bit from last year?

Some views from the morning.
(Yeah, they changed the route, but let me believe that I'm ready for the Tour de France for a bit, please?)

"The first 40 miles features several big climbs and treacherous descents." It also featured a treacherous ride through the second busiest truck stop area in the country, Breezewood, PA. Sam and Janet are enjoying the break and the traffic.

This was an absolutely beautiful ride, and the scenery was amazing. This part of western Pennsylvania is so pretty.

Here's Patty at the top of one of our big climbs.

Part of our ride took us along Grist Mill Road and Cowans Gap State Park. It was cool, shady, and so peaceful.
We also rode through several small towns. They're starting to look more and more colonial, with the houses close together and right near the street.

When we were nearing Gettysburg, we crossed the Appalachian Trail! I didn't see any hikers.

We're in Gettysburg now. We're staying at the Artillery Ridge Campground, and six of us (Barb, Janet, Tracy, Rosie, Liz, and I) are staying in one of the cabins. It's a nice break from the tent.

There is so much history here. Riding toward the campground, we passed all sorts of historic sites, cemeteries, monuments, plaques, etc. I hope to get out and see some of it tomorrow, my last rest day!

Day 44!

2008-08-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

Confluence, PA to Bedford, PA - 79.0 miles, 6:22

This morning we were given the choice of riding more of the trail for 31 miles OR taking the road and crossing the highest point in Pennsylvania, with some 15+% grades thrown in for fun. This rider knows her limitations. She chose the trail, as did most of the sensible riders. About ten testosterone-driven guys took the scenic route.

I left camp with Barb, Janet, Patty, and Tracy. Not long into the ride, Tracy got a flat tire, so we all stopped to help her.
Here are some views of the Casselman River from the trail.

At one point along the trail there's a combination bed & breakfast/bike shop!
After Barb and Janet had sped ahead of us, Tracy got another flat. Patty and I helped her change it, and then a few minutes later, she got her third flat! We were a couple miles from the end of the trail, so rather than try to fix the flat again, she called Sharon (our ride leader), who was at the end of the trail. Sharon called Nick (our mechanic) to bring Tracy her extra tire. Patty and I walked our bikes with Tracy until we met up with Nick. We called it the Big Walk.
Some views along the Big Walk.
Once Nick replaced Tracy's tire, Patty, Tracy, and I were off for a quick lunch in Meyersdale, then back on the road, which after riding on the limestone trail felt very smooth. But then, we were back to the ubiquitous Pennsylvania hills. They are long and steep, and often you can see them with dread (I speak only for myself when I say that!) in the distance.

Did I say that I don't like hills? I don't. I'm getting better at them, but I still don't like them! I do like the scenery that they provide, though.
A commercial break.

A nice climb is visible off in the distance.
We are staying in a campground in Bedford, PA, tonight. It's right next door to the Cannondale factory. (Cannondale, in case you don't know, makes bikes.)

Tomorrow we're going to Gettysburg, and it's our last long, hilly ride.

Day 43!

2008-08-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

(yesterday) Washington, PA to Confluence, PA - 91.7 miles, 7:36

Most Big Riders walked their bikes out of the campground. We don't like riding on gravel!
I've decided that Washington, a nice little city in western Pennsylvania, has steeper hills than San Francisco and Seattle. And, I think we rode up all of them. Here's a view just outside of Washington. Can you see the hot air balloon?
Pennsylvania has a great system of roads designated as bike routes. We were on the S route for most of the day.

Another view of the countryside.
After we conquered the hills of Washington, PA, we rode along Mingo Creek, which was beautiful!
Later, we crossed the wide Monongahela River.
I rode with Janet and Patty, and we stopped to ask a policeman who was sitting by the side of the road if we were on the correct road to cross Route 51. He said, "You'll cross it at the top." The TOP. I didn't like the sound of that. The top of that hill was brutal. At one point I was climbing at the lightning fast speed of 3.6 mph. That's barely fast enough to keep the bike balanced upright! I think I probably could've walked up faster than that. I heard later that it was 12% grade.

They are beautiful to look at, but I still don't like hills.

The last 50 miles of the ride was on a crushed limestone bike path called the Youghiogheny River Trail. Youghiogheny is, as you know, pronounced "YAWK-i-gheny." It's an old railroad route, and the grade is .212%. It was an absolutely beautiful ride!
The support crew provided a lunch stop where we entered the trail.
At about mile 61, along the trail, a Big Rider from 2000, Fred Husak, provided a great lunch stop for us. As I was riding the trail, I told my riding partners that I was dying for a root beer, and voila, he had birch beer for us! It's even better than root beer! Sweaty me and Fred.
Bob, Fred, and Fred's wife.
We're getting close!
Some more pictures from the trail. Sam is speeding down the trail, maybe to get away from rattlesnakes?
Kevin and Sam are crossing a bridge over the Youghiogheny River.

There are campgrounds along the trail specifically for bikers and hikers. We stayed at one near the city of Confluence. George Washington camped right here near Confluence, too!
Our campground was near an earthen dam, so we could hear the water running all night long. It was very peaceful. I was just hoping that the dam wouldn't give way. (It didn't!)

Day 42!

2008-08-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

New Waterford, OH to Washington, PA - 63.9 miles, 5:05

Okay, I change my statement from yesterday. Mileage in the low 60s is not necessarily an easy day if you're riding in Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, but more about that later.

It was wonderful, cool weather last night, and it was just as nice this morning. It was a great morning to ride. Here are Patty and Janet just outside our campground, getting ready to leave for the day.

As we left Eastern Ohio, we rode by an international collection of city names: Lisbon, East Palestine, and Calcutta. All were tiny towns, of course. There was some beautiful scenery among the rolling hills there.

As we neared the border, we could see Pennsylvania and nuclear towers in the distance. It looked like we'd be heading straight into an urban landscape. Not so.

Finally, Pennsylvania! The road we entered the state on had no state sign, so we rode a bit out of our way to get to the Pennsylvania sign. I'm between Janet and Patty, who are making "11" with their fingers. Pennsylvania is our 11th state.

There were also markers for the "survey of Western lands." It was very interesting, and I'm glad we made the small detour!

So far, I've learned that Pennsylvania is the land of nuclear power, no flat roads, and the state motto is "You've Got Some Hills to Climb in Pennsylvania." There are hills and more hills, and they're giving my legs and lungs a good work out.

About four miles into Pennsylvania we crossed over the Ohio River. I couldn't get a picture from or near the bridge, because of the nuclear power plants at the edge of the river. There were five cooling towers. We were told that if we take pictures our cameras could be confiscated, so I took my only picture of the river before we crossed the bridge.
Janet, Tracy, Patty, and I rode together today, and we stopped for some food in Midland, PA.

Here are Pauline, Tracy, and Ash at a great little place called the Karma Kafe.
The ride today was very hilly. All the towns that we went by were on narrow, hilly roads. Everything about today was hills, hills, and more hills. It was pretty, of course. Hilly terrain usually is!
The first thing I always want to do when I get into camp is relax and take a shower, but the first thing I HAVE to do is lay out my wet tent to dry.
It's set up, but with all my bike-worldly belongings outside.
This has been my home away from home for the last six weeks.

Tomorrow we do more climbing . . .

Day 41!

2008-08-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Burton, OH to New Waterford, OH - 60.6 miles, 4:13

It was a dark and stormy night . . .

I was woken up a little after midnight by thunder and lightning. A little later the rain and wind came. I zipped up my windows and hoped that my tent was secure, while I tried to go back to sleep. It was secure . . . mostly. A tiny bit of water leaked in and got the bottom of my air mattress wet, but other than that, everything was fine.

This morning I carefully packed up my wet tent, hoping that the afternoon would be warm and sunny so that I could dry it out. (It was!)

Today's ride was great. The route took us through small towns, along nice rolling hills, AND it was only 60 miles! It's still amazing to me that 60 miles seems like nothing now. Other riders were saying the same thing during dinner tonight.
I read that the Burton area is home to the fourth largest Amish community in the country. We saw several horse-drawn buggies this morning as we were leaving. There are even road signs for them. I love hearing the sound of the horse's hooves on the pavement.
Our first water stop was across the street from Kent State University. Yes, that Kent State. "Four dead in Ohio."

We rode through the good-sized town of Warren, where there are many beautiful, old buildings. I only got a picture of one.
Later, we passed a steel mill. It's the first I've seen of the "Rust Belt." It was a working mill, though, so can it accurately be described as "rust?"
For awhile, the roads didn't match what was written on our cue sheets, so Janet, Tracy, and I wondered if we were lost. Tracy stopped to ask directions at someone's house, while Janet and I waited. We knew we were on the right route when we saw Nick, the mechanic, drive by. As you can see, this was a beautiful place to ride.

Janet stopped and bought some fresh peaches at a roadside stand. I wanted to buy some of their homemade jams, especially since I missed making jams at home this summer, but where would I pack them? Patty, on the right, is looking at cookies.
The town of Columbiana was the last town of any size (which on this trip usually means "small size") that we rode through before reaching the campground.
The campground, Terrace Lakes, is nice and rustic. It's wooded, secluded, AND most importantly, it's not near a train track OR a major highway! The weather here tonight is perfect right now. It's cool, not humid, there's a nice breeze . . . it's not like I thought it'd be at all. In fact, it's almost like home!

Kevin, Barb, and Darrell are relaxing and blogging after a perfect ride. (You can see my laptop to the right of Darrell, where it's waiting for me.)

Tomorrow, we enter Pennsylvania!

Day 40!

2008-08-01T16:50:00.001-07:00

Rest day in Burton, OH!

We are camping at The Great Geauga County Fairgrounds in Burton. (I learned that it's pronounced "jee-auga.")

Rest days always include laundry duties. The dorms we've stayed in have always had laundry rooms in the basements, but fairgrounds rarely have basements, so all 37 of us descended on the local laundry at some point during the day today. Here's Rosie looking through the dryer glass.
Barb and Janet are having a little TOO much fun with clean clothes.
Burton is a great little town. It's one of the older towns in Ohio, and it has a lot of character in its old houses and buildings.

This is an old log cabin in the village green where folks make and sell maple syrup. Village greens and maple syrup - - - we're not even in New England! Actually, this village green was modeled after those in New England.

Several of us had both lunch and dinner at Cogan's, Village (Idiot) Eatery. Their motto is "Bad Food, Lousy Service." It's got great food, and the owner has a great sense of humor. "Sorry, We're Open" is the first thing you see as you enter the door.

We leave here early tomorrow morning for New Waterford, OH. It's supposed to be a low mileage day. I'm hoping it's a low elevation day, too!

Day 39!

2008-07-31T17:41:00.000-07:00

Sandusky, OH to Burton, OH - 90.5 miles, 6:33

(I think my bike computer was not working for several miles, which is why my mileage is less than expected.)

Today was the most urban ride we've done. After we left camp, we rode along Highway 6, which runs along Lake Erie. We got to see the houses of the rich (nouveau?) who can afford to build their tract mansions on the shore of the lake.

This was my first glimpse of a Great Lake! Lake Erie is huge! It looks like an ocean, but it doesn't smell like one. There are waves, lighthouses, and sandy beaches, just like an ocean. Here are Patty, me, Tracy, Pauline, and Janet at a rare public beach in front of Lake Erie.
One funny thing: men in tractor-like vehicles ride along the beach and smooth down the sand. That's a good thing. Apparently, no one in Ohio wants to look at or walk along a messy beach. The seagulls like the messy sand, though. Oh, maybe that's why they smooth it . . .

The further east we went, the nicer the houses became. Does my bike match? Would I be allowed to live here?

Today, at about noon, we entered our biggest city so far, Cleveland, OH.
After lunch at a great little cafe, Janet, Patty, and I became urban cyclists. It took all three of us to navigate the city streets, watching for traffic, buses, parked cars, pedestrians, while at the same time reading the directions on the cue sheet. Riding in downtown Cleveland was quite an adventure, and I'm not using the word "adventure" in the most positive sense right now.

We rode through all sorts of neighborhoods in Cleveland, both urban poor and old money rich. We went by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, through Little Italy, by Case Western University, then on into Shaker Heights. Eventually, we left urban and suburban Cleveland and entered the countryside. There was NO corn! Instead, there were hills, polo grounds, secluded homes, and woods. There was also the birthplace of James A. Garfield. (Did he play polo, I wonder?)
We are camping tonight at the Geauga County Fairgrounds in Burton, OH. This is a very cute little town, and I'm looking forward to exploring it tomorrow - a REST DAY!

Day 38!

2008-07-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

Napoleon, OH to Sandusky, OH - 94.1 miles, 6:15

Since breakfast was at 5:30 this morning, I got up at 4:45 and packed up my things and my tent in the dark. I've been setting up and taking down my tent for so many days now, that anything's possible. I can do it by "feel."

When we left Napoleon it was threatening rain, and it sprinkled a bit, but never did really rain. Thank goodness! We've been really lucky on this trip. We had one thunderstorm at night in Montana, but everything was dry by morning. Then, one morning in South Dakota it rained really hard, but fortunately I'd gotten my tent packed before then. (I'm probably jinxing things by even talking about rain!)

Anyway, the light sprinkles and the clouds kept it fairly cool, and since it was a really flat ride (the flattest so far), it was really pleasant. We rode along rural roads, past the ever-present corn fields, and through some small towns.

Bowling Green was the first "big" town we came to. Janet and Tracy are posing next to an interesting muffler sculpture we found next to a gas station.
Here's a view of downtown Bowling Green.

Here are some views of and from the road.

In the town of Fremont, Janet, Barb, Tracy, and I stopped for some ice cream treats. I had my second root beer shake in two days. YUM! (If you want to know how to make a Big Rider happy, offer her ice cream.)

Rutherford B. Hayes' hometown was Fremont, Ohio. He was, as you know, our 19th president. Here's a picture of his museum and library.

Here's his home. It's located on a large, beautiful, tree-covered lot called Spiegel Grove.

The rest of the ride was warm, flat, and uneventful. Things got more suburban/urban as we neared Sandusky, which meant that while there was more to look at, there was also more traffic. Cars in cities are not always kind to bicyclists, so it's a little more stressful riding in urban areas.

Also, as we were nearing Sandusky, I also noticed two yards that had the same yard art: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves! Is this a new landscaping trend? Are they replacing the classic pink flamingos? I will do more research and report back as I ride through Ohio.

Finally, as I heard the sound of a freight train, I knew I was near our campground. (Most of our camping sites have been near trains and/or freeways.)

As we were relaxing at the campground, having cold drinks and snacks after our ride, a young cedar waxwing flew down and sat on a chair next to Amy, one of our support staff. (Thanks to Janet, our resident ornithologist, for identifying the bird.)

Here's a view of part of our campground. My tent is the blue one in the middle.

Tomorrow we go to Burton, OH, and then we have a rest day on Friday!

Day 37!

2008-07-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

Kendallville, IN to Napoleon, OH - 71.9 miles, 5:10

First, a message to Zach, the rider from 2004: Ash says "hi," and he told me to tell you that 2008 is much better than 2004. I can't argue with that!

Second, I have to say that after the long days of riding we've had lately, 70 miles seems like a very short day! Adding the fact that the route was mostly small rollers and flat countryside, it was almost like a day off. Okay, it wasn't really . . .

We left the campground this morning, and it was cool and misty outside. It was a great morning for riding, but not great for packing up a tent. All our tents were soaking wet with dew. They'd have to dry out in the afternoon at our destination.

Here are some last views of Indiana:
I've finally gotten brave enough to take pictures as I'm riding. I've seen others do it, but I was worried that I'd either drop the camera and/or crash and burn. So far, neither has happened. Here's what I see all day long:

We're in Ohio, our 10th state! There aren't the huge welcome signs on the small, county roads that we travel on, so once again the Big Ride staff pointed out and painted the state line for us.
Barb and Darrell are at the border.
Ohio is the land of muddy creeks, barns with dates on them, and the state motto is "Our roads are better than Indiana's." I haven't quite determined what the State Roadkill is yet. It's either kitten or ground hog. Some views of Ohio from today:That's a cemetery behind the clover field.A barn with the family name and date on it.
Janet, Barb, and I stopped for an early lunch at Lester's Diner in Bryan. The food was great!
Bruce (from Auburn), Pauline, and Ash were there, too.
A view of a portion of downtown Napoleon, OH.
We crossed over the Maumee River.
We're staying at the Henry County Fairgrounds in Napoleon. Other than the persistent flies, it's a pleasant place to camp.

Day 36!

2008-07-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

Valparaiso, IN to Kendallville, IN - 112.6 miles, 7:52

We sadly left the dorms at Valparaiso University this morning. These will be the last dorms we stay in on this trip. We'll be camping the rest of the time, even on our rest days. Please send dry weather this way!

At our first water stop we got to see the great "art work" that Sharon, our new ride leader, added to the truck. That's me, Sharon, and Janet.

The ride was fairly uneventful today. It was warm and sunny, mostly flat, with a few small rolling hills, which is perfect for a century-plus day. Here are some of the sights we saw:
Your guess is as good as mine on this one:

Once again, some nice local folks set up a rest stop stand for us near Waterford Mills, IN. Loretta Miller and her family provided us with cookies, milk, and cold water. It's so nice to see how kind people can be, and it makes us want to give back even more. (Loretta's in the middle.)
We rode through more Amish country and saw many horse-drawn buggies. As we were riding through the town of Millersburg, we were behind one, so I took a quick picture. I've learned that I'm faster than one horsepower! After the picture was taken, we all managed to pass the buggy.

We're here in a campground near the town of Kendallville, IN.
It has a great old downtown area, and there are many nice old homes in town.
The mayor and some other folks provided us with a great barbecue dinner, and they'll be giving us breakfast tomorrow morning. (The mayor is the woman in green.)

Day 35!

2008-07-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

Rest day in Valparaiso, IN!

There's only one way to describe Big Riders: Brain dead.

No, we weren't this way when we signed up for the ride. We weren't even this way when we arrived in Seattle to begin it. But, we are all brain dead now.

Ask any Big Rider where he was staying two nights ago. His response will be a blank stare. If you ask a Big Rider to tell you the date and/or day of the week, she'll fail miserably. In psychological/medical terms, we are not "oriented to time and place."

The one item that we all rely on to keep our lives intact is the daily cue sheet.
It tells us what day of the ride we're on. It tells us the date and day of the week, and it has the town we were just in and the town we're going to. Oh, yeah, and it has the directions to get to the next location.

Yes, I do need to look at it before I make each blog post. (These rest day posts are a little stressful. I don't have a cue sheet for today!)

I've also learned to decipher road names. I already mentioned in a post that I never want to ride a street with the word "Pass" in it. Passes are never easy . . . at least for me.

Not long after we entered the state of Illinois a few days ago (don't ask me which day or how many days ago that was, please!) we turned onto a road called "Prairie Hill Road." I was riding with Rosie, and I said, "Uh oh. It has the word 'Hill' in it." Sure enough, that road contained hills, and Illinois has no hills. (Okay, I exaggerate.)

We started talking about other road names that hill-climbing phobics should avoid. Here's a partial list:
-"Skyline" or anything with the word "Sky" in it
-"Pleasant" never means pleasant
-"Valley," because you know what valleys come between
-"View" - I think that's self-explanatory

So, that's the post for today, my rest day. Oh, Valparaiso is a nice little town, but I'm resting so I didn't see much of it. I saw the Broadway Cafe for breakfast this morning. I saw Culver's for lunch, and I went to the Broadway Cafe again for dinner (it was VERY good). I washed clothes yesterday, I washed my bike this morning, and I washed my helmet and water bottles this afternoon. I even took a short nap.

Now, I must rest some more. Today's Sunday, right?

Day 34!

2008-07-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

Coal City, IL to Valparaiso, IN - 87.1 miles, 6:26

It was a cool and sticky morning when we got up. Everything in my tent was a little moist, and my tent was wet, but I still had to pack it all up. I had my usual bowls of oatmeal and cereal, and then it was on the road . . . for the seventh day in a row!

Not far from the campground we passed a reindeer farm. Santa must have his summer home in Illinois. Prancer was aptly named. Reindeer really do prance when they run.
How can you pass a place like the Launching Pad Drive-In and not take a picture of the Gemini Giant? Classic Americana!
Bike for Sale. Used. High mileage. Will consider all offers. (The sign had said "Bikes for Sale," but Rosie took the "s" off so that we could have fun with it. Big Riders are easily amused.)
What kind of cheapskate state have we come to? Where's the Welcome to Indiana sign? The Big Ride support staffers had to paint a sign for us in the road. Barb and I are at the Indiana/Illinois state "line."
At our lunch stop (well, it would've been a lunch stop for me, but I wanted REAL food, so I skipped the ubiquitous PB&J) Bob was "sharing" a pastry with Barb. Later Barb and I found a Subway next door to a Dairy Queen. Heaven! We had a lunch with all the favorite food groups of Big Riders: chips, cold pop, and ice cream. Oh yeah . . . there was a sub sandwich in there as an appetizer.
The section of Indiana that we rode through today was really nice (road surfaces excluded). It was sort of rural/suburban with large houses, nice neighborhoods, lots of trees, and some touristy lakes. This is Cedar Lake.

As pretty as it was, though, Indiana has to have the label of "Land of Bad Roads." This was the bumpiest ride I've ever been on. Kevin, from Indiana, claims no responsibility. "I pay my taxes," he says.

For a ride of over 80 miles, this was pretty easy (besides the rough roads, of course). It was mostly flat, the weather wasn't too hot, and I discovered that the State Roadkill of Indiana is the raccoon.

We're staying in a dorm at Valparaiso University, and it's wonderful. Who knew that a twin bed, a real pillow, a real towel, and dorm food could be so desirable?
Tomorrow is a badly needed rest day! Woo hoo!!

Day 33!

2008-07-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

Belvidere, IL to Coal City, IL - 104.5 miles, 7:52

Today was our third century (or near century) in a row. It was also our 6th day of riding. I never thought I'd make it, but so far, so good. One more day for this longest week of riding.

The day started out cool and cloudy, which is perfect for me.

About 29 miles into the ride, I stopped at a nice little restaurant in Malta and had brunch (or second breakfast) with Ash and Pauline. After I got back on the road, we had to wait for this really long train to pass.

We rode through rural roads most of the day, and there are some really nice farmhouses in this part of Illinois. The houses are beautiful, and the yards are so well-maintained.
Today there was corn and more corn! Sometimes, that's all there was as far as the eye could see.
Pauline and Ash are riding past a few million stalks of corn.
Lunch with Patty and Sam was in the little town of Somonauk. Don't ask me how to pronounce that!

We're getting into the part of the country where things are "older." There are alot of old cemetaries, and they contain gravestones from the mid-1800s. I wish I had more time to look at them.

After riding along rural roads most of the day, we finally entered urban Illinois in the town of Morris, 60 or so miles from Chicago. It's quite a change to go from riding along quiet, almost car-less roads to riding along busy city streets. It's a little scary at times.

Leaving Morris we crossed a large bridge over the Illinois River.
Tonight we are camping at the Coal City Area Club. It's a pretty nice, private campground. There are RVs and there are our little tents.

Tomorrow, Indiana!

Day 32!

2008-07-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

Madison, WI to Belvidere, IL - 99.4 miles, 7:59

For a state that has no mountain ranges and looks "flat" on every map I've seen, Wisconsin is VERY hilly. I've ridden up more steep hills in Wisconsin than I have in any other state . . . so far.

Today was another LONG day, and I'm starting to feel the effects. My thighs are complaining, but I'm not listening to them. Well . . . I'm trying not to, at least.

Not long after we left camp this morning we arrived in Oregon! Did I make a wrong turn somewhere?

Later, we rode down beautiful tree-lined streets in Evansville, WI.
I'm riding with some coffee addicts (and I don't hold that against them!), so we stopped at a great little shop for a mid-morning snack. I had a great cherry muffin. No coffee, though! From left to right are Patty, Sam, me, Janet, and Tracy.
Our first water stop was next to a corn field. I've seen a lifetime's worth of corn this summer. Rosie, Tracy, Patty, and Janet are kidding around with Mark, one of our great support crew.
In the little town of Orfordville a couple riders from the 2007 Big Ride provided a great snack stop for us! Janet, Patty, and I talked about how we should do that for the 2009 Riders. From left to right are Bob (a 2007 rider), James, and Liz (a 2007 rider).
Wisconsin is home to Flying Tractors! Patty and Rosie are checking them out.

We stopped at a gas station in Beloit, WI to use the "facilities," and met some very friendly residents. It was fun talking to them about our ride.
We're in Illinois now. It's our 8th state! That's me, Patty, and Janet.

There are a lot of large trees right next to the road. It's great to have some shade while we ride!
In the middle of some corn fields was an old cemetary dating from the 1830s.

In the little town of Capron we stopped at Rosa's for a cool drink and some french fries. Here's Rosie in front of Rosa's.

Day 31!

2008-07-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Viroqua, WI to Madison, WI - 113.8 miles, 8:44

Once we figured out how to get out of town (the cue sheet directions were a little confusing), it was a beautiful morning!

We descended a steep hill into the fog.

We entered the rolling hills of southern Wisconsin. It was unbelievably beautiful, and none of these pictures can show it all.

We rode by this old, abandoned church. The sign on the front said, "Bethel Church, 1880."

More Wisconsin farmland:

By the time we got to the town of Richland Center, we were in the flatlands again. Tracy, Sam, and I stopped for a quick lunch/late breakfast, and as we were getting ready to get back on the road, I noticed flat tire #2 for me. I changed it, and we set out to finish our 110+ miles.

There was not much to see for the rest of the ride. We rode along Highway 14 again, and it was mostly semi-rural farmland, small towns, and some strip malls.

Nearing Madison, we rode the back roads, one of which was called Old Sauk Pass Road. Please remind me to never ride my bike on a road with the word "pass" in it! These were thigh-torturing, tachycardia-inducing hills! For the last 20 or so miles of the ride it was one hill after another as we rode into camp.

Here are Sam, Tracy, and I right after we reached camp. We did it!

Tonight, I'm staying in luxury in a motel room, thanks to great planning by Barb. I get a real bed, real towels, and real pillows!!

Tomorrow, we're on to Illinois!

Day 30!

2008-07-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

Day 30 (yesterday) - Winona, MN to Viroqua, WI - 68.7 miles, 5:19

We left Winona and headed south along Highway 61 on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi. There weren't great views of the river from where we were riding. You'll have to wait for later for that!

The best part of the day happened in the little town of Dakota, MN. The Big Riders were treated to a wonderful food stop by the Myers sisters and cousins! The Myers live along the route and have been watching riders go by for years. They said that first, when the girls were young, they'd wave at the riders. Later, they set out lemonade. Now, they go all out and have punch, coffee, tea, fruit, and all sorts of great homemade goodies. Here are Tracy, me, and Kathleen with the sisters and cousins:
Patty C. (from Delaware) is enjoying some of the treats. Mr. Myers is behind her.

Several riders are enjoying the food stop with Myers family members:

Kevin's signing the guestbook:

Austin is getting interviewed, and afterward he got a bracelet. I got mine, and I plan to wear it every day of the ride to remind me of their kindness.

Greg is surrounded by Myers girls!

It was so hard to leave, but we had to. We had places to go and state lines to cross! Here I am with Jim and Tracy. Wisconsin is state #7 for us!

We crossed the mighty Mississippi River on our way into LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

Tracy's getting a picture of the river without getting off her bike!
Here's a view of the river looking south:

Welcome to LaCrosse!

Another classy first for me. This is the World's Largest Six-Pack! Notice Jim down below for scale.

Here I am with the King of Beer.

We left LaCrosse and the Mississippi and started heading east out of the river valley. To say this was hilly is an understatement. To say it was beautiful is also. Here are some scenes of the Wisconsin farmland, and these pictures don't do it justice.

We went through the Wisconsin Amish country. I saw several people riding in their horse drawn carriages, either on the road or in their pastures, but, respecting their privacy, I didn't take pictures. I did, however, see an empty buggy by a reservoir, so, since no one was around, I did take a picture. There were folks fishing in the reservoir, so I'm assuming that's where the owners of this vehicle were.

After more thigh-screaming hills, we finally arrived in Viroqua, our home for the evening. Camp was at the Vernon County Fairgrounds.

Day 29!

2008-07-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

Owatonna, MN to Winona, MN - 94.6 miles, 6:36

There was a really beautiful sunrise this morning in Owatonna, but by the time I thought about getting my camera, it was gone. I kept thinking of that poem, "red sky at morning, sailor's warning." I figured that meant rain was coming, but at least for our route today, the prediction was incorrect.

Not far from Owatonna we saw a hot air balloon. By the time I took the picture and was pedaling past it, it was being deflated.

Minnesotans don't only grow corn in their fields.

Our first water stop was about 25 miles from the start of today's ride, and when I was about 10 feet from pulling in, I felt that dreaded funny feeling from my bike. I stopped, felt my back tire, and walked my bike to the rest stop. Yep. I had my first flat of the ride. A sharp piece of metal had cut a gash in my back tire.

My flat tire couldn't have happened at a better time. I was near a supported stop, and Nick, our mechanic was there. I got the tire off my bike, but then he took over from there. Once it was fixed, I was on my way again.

The next stop was a snack stop put on by some riders from 2007! They had cookies, fruit, and a few doughnuts left by the time I got there. It was great to hear their stories of what it's like after the ride. "Your muscles are screaming to get on your bike!"

We rode through a "big" city today: Rochester, MN, home of the Mayo Clinic. Here's a picture I took quickly while waiting at an intersection for the light to turn green. (I'm sure it's not the best picture of Rochester that I could've gotten, but . . . oh well.)

Kathleen and Janet like butterfly jerseys!

Today we passed the 2,000 mile mark on our trip!! We left Seattle just four weeks ago today, and I can't believe I've ridden over 2,000 miles since then.

This part of southeastern Minnesota STILL has a lot of corn fields, but there are more trees and woods and a few more hills.

On our way into Winona and the Mississippi River Valley, the landscape changed even more. Here are limestone or sandstone cliffs. (I guessed the kind of rock just by eyeballing it from the road. I didn't do a real test, sorry!)

More of the scenery near the Minnesota/Wisconsin border.

This is Lake Winona, looking north from the road to Winona State University.

This is the view looking south from that same road.

Tonight we are staying in a dorm at Winona State University. Just east of Winona is the Mississippi River and beyond that, our seventh state. Tomorrow we'll be singing "On Wisconsin."

Day 28!

2008-07-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

New Ulm, MN to Owatonna, MN - 74.4 miles, 5:17

It was another foggy morning when we left New Ulm. Fog may make it difficult to see the scenery, and it causes water to condense on my glasses (so it's also difficult to see the ROAD), but it makes for a cool, quiet ride. Now that we're in the humid Midwest, anything that reduces the heat is welcome.

When the fog burned off, it was still cloudy for awhile, and the landscape was much the same as we had seen in the last couple days. Minnesotans grow a lot of corn, and we've started seeing "sweet corn" stands by the side of the road. I SO want to have some! (Update: We had corn on the cob for dinner. It was REALLY good!) This morning we rode through the towns of North Mankato and Mankato. Some of it was very charming, but then we were on Madison Avenue. It has all the charm of Highway 99 in Hazel Dell or Lynnwood. If you're not familiar with those locations, think "strip mall heaven." It went on forever! Needless to say, I didn't take any pictures.

Janesville is one of the more charming small towns we passed through. There was an interesting old bank building that is now an antique store.

This Dairy Queen in Janesville is one of the older ones around, having been built in 1953. One of the women working there said that when that ice cream sign burns out, they'll have to replace it with the new Dairy Queen sign. She said she has someone who helps keep it in top shape. It'd be a shame to have to replace that great old sign.

Several Big Riders and friends were at the Dairy Queen. Nick, our mechanic, was there with his girlfriend Kim.

These hungry riders are Janet, Bob, Kathleen (from Kent), Barb, and Darrell.

Ed and Austin (both from California) also stopped by for some food.

After we left Janesville, we rode through more farmland.

Here's a shot of Loon Lake in Waseca. Ash was practicing his kiwi-eating skills.

If you click on the picture, you may be able to see the two white egrets in another one of the 10,000 lakes.

Yet another of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes.
Owatonna has a population of about 22,000, and compared to most of the towns we've stayed in, this seems like a big city.

Tonight we are camping at the Steele County fairgrounds in Owatonna, and it claims to be the home of the largest county fair in Minnesota. Fortunately, it's not fair time, or else the cows and pigs are far from where our tents are!

I had my second fall of this ride less than a block from the campsite. I zigged when I should've zagged and ran into Janet. We both went down. She got some "rug burns," and I got a nice bloody knee. It's going to make a very attractive scab.

No, there are no pictures of it.

Day 27!

2008-07-19T13:54:00.001-07:00

Rest day in New Ulm, MN!

New Ulm seems like a really nice small town. It was settled by German immigrants, and there's a lot of German character here in the shops, the architecture, and food. I'd love to come back here when I had more time and energy to look around.

A view looking north on Minnesota Avenue, the main street downtown.

An old gas station.
We're staying in a dorm at Martin Luther College, a small (surprise!) Lutheran college. Here's Herr Luther posing for the Minnesotan college students.
Here's a view of the college. Centennial Hall, the dorm I'm staying in, is in the foreground. Down the hill to the left is the downtown area.

Children's author Wanda Ga'g (Millions of Cats) was born and raised in New Ulm. She was born to Bavarian immigrants, and didn't learn English until she went to school. Her father was a photographer in New Ulm, and art was a very important part of her family life. Her childhood home is open for tours.
Anton Ga'g, Wanda's father, photographed the construction of the Hermann Monument, which was completed in 1897.
Click on the picture to read all about it:
Barb and I paid the $1.25 to take the stairs (and scary ladders) to the top. It was pretty humid, so I was pretty sweaty by the time I got to the top. It was not a pretty sight . . . me, I mean. The view from the top of the Hermann monument was great!

Some views of Hermann.
A view looking east toward downtown, taken from the Hermann monument.
So, now it's nearly 4:30 pm, and there's a tornado watch! The midwesterners in the group aren't worried at all. They say, "It's nothing to worry about until they say 'tornado WARNING.'" The rest of us aren't buying that. When the word "tornado" is in the forecast, you worry.

When you're a non-midwesterner hungry Big Rider, you worry about dinner!

No problems. Janet's friends Sara and Harriet graciously gave Liz, Janet, Barb, and I a ride to dinner downtown. Great food and great company, all in one place in New Ulm!

Now, we are all getting ready for 7 days in a row of riding. It's going to be a LONG week!

Day 26!

2008-07-18T17:41:00.001-07:00

Tyler, MN to New Ulm, MN - 89.5 miles, 6:35

It was a foggy and dewy morning when we packed up our wet tents. It was still foggy when we got out on the road, so today was definitely the day to use my new REALLY BRIGHT flashing rear light. It was nice and cool, but my glasses kept getting fogged up and I couldn't see the scenery I was riding past! It was like riding in a Twilight Zone episode.

I passed three of the 10,000 lakes in Minnesota. I wonder how many more I couldn't see.

That Laura Ingalls Wilder really got around. She was in South Dakota AND Minnesota!

Aha! So Walnut Grove, MN was where the real Little House on the Prairie was.

Minnesota is really clean and green looking.

An interesting farm building (chicken coop?).

Some more Minnesota farmland. The gentle rolling hills that we rode over yesterday were pretty much gone. This part of Minnesota is very flat, and it's so green! It made for a very pleasant ride.

This is the most interesting town name I've ever seen.

The character Linus was based on a real person (amazingly, he was named Linus) who was born and raised in Sleepy Eye, MN. This statue is in front of the town library.

More Minnesota farmland . . .

We're staying in the dorms at Martin Luther college in New Ulm. As soon as we arrived, before we could even think of relaxing, we all had to set up our tents to let them dry out.

Tomorrow is a rest day!

Day 25!

2008-07-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

De Smet, SD to Tyler, MN - 81.0 miles, 5:55

I've decided that the Jet Stream, which carries air currents from west to east, is a big myth. We've been riding our bikes toward the east for 21 days now, and I think we've had only a couple days with tailwinds. Most of the time we've had headwinds. I was hoping that the Jet Stream would gently push me to the east, but NO! I'm having to actually do physical WORK to get my body eastward!

This morning I woke up at 5:00, and looked out and saw lightning in the distance. I hurried to pack my tent and all my things into the truck before rain came, and I made it. Others were not so lucky. By the time I got to the church (a block away) for breakfast, it was raining hard. We all waited until the storm passed before we got out on the road, and we rode in the cool morning air for a couple hours.
Then, the storm decided to pass our way again, and I was soaked. My gloves, shoes, jacket, clothes . . . everything was wet. BUT, riding in cool rain is much better than riding in hot, hot weather, so it was a pretty good morning! (Note to Mother Nature: Just so you know, I'd really prefer cool DRY weather . . . )

I was riding with Janet for the first part of the day, and we pulled into a gas station in the little town of Volga, SD to get out of the rain for a few minutes. After I squeezed the water out of my gloves and my socks, the rain stopped! Rosie joined us, and we were off to Brookings in search of real food (i.e. something withOUT peanut butter and jelly!).

In Brookings, which is a nice South Dakota college town, we found Sam, the Cheeto guy,
an interesting house,
and good Mexican food. Then, it was off to Minnesota, our sixth state! These are views of eastern South Dakota.

Janet and Rosie on a photo break.

As soon as you cross the border into Minnesota, you see calming wind generators, hear crickets (or cicadas or something), encounter gentle rolling hills, and learn that the state roadkill is the skunk.

This was one of the nicest days of riding I've had in a while. I've decided that it was due to the cool rain and lack of heat, the company I rode with, and the fact that I've entered Lake Woebegone country. Now, we're in the town of Tyler, MN, which is known for its Aebleskiver Festival.

I wonder if I can get one to go.

Day 24!

2008-07-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

Miller, SD to De Smet, SD - 82.6 miles, 6:12

Mornings are always my favorite time of the day. We've had very few cloudy days, so this was a nice change.
Our first water stop, and this was what most of the scenery looked like all day. We rode through more of the prairie today, but there were more towns and "civilization" along the route than there was yesterday. (left to right: Tracy, Ed, and Rosie.)
Today was a little ride on the prairie. It was also the midpoint of our ride, both in mileage and days! It's all downhill from here . . . or not. (From left to right, Rosie, Janet, me, Barb, Tracy, and Liz)

Huron, SD, where Liz, Rosie, Janet, Tracy, and I stopped for lunch, is the home of the world's largest pheasant. Who knew that South Dakota was home to so much worldliness?
Later, as we were riding along Rosie got us all singing that camp song "The other day (the other day) I saw a bear (I saw a bear) in tennis shoes (in tennis shoes) . . . " Then, she and I started composing our own Big Ride verses to that song. An example:

Out on the road
I had to pee
But I couldn't find
A bush or tree

Yes, those are lyrics of utmost quality. We've found our calling, and we'll be quitting our day jobs and moving to Tin Pan Alley. Without bikes.

On the ride today I found another new interest: hay bale formation. Riding for hours in the heat changes one's interests.

De Smet, as you all know, was the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder. What I didn't realize was that there were highways back then. "Pa, let's go riding in the SUV."
Tonight we're camping in a very nice city park. It's warm and breezy now, and I think it'll be a great night. Tomorrow, Minnesota!

Day 23!

2008-07-15T14:25:00.000-07:00

Pierre, SD to Miller, SD - 74.8 miles, 5:49

Things are all relative on this Big Ride Across America. After riding over 95 miles both of the last two days, 70-some miles seems like a short day!

We left Pierre (remember, you should say "peer") about 7:00 this morning, and had our only climb of the day getting out of the Missouri River valley. Here's a view of the capital building as we were leaving the city. The rest of the ride to Miller was flat. Then flatter. And when the sun came up, it was hot. Then hotter. Add in a headwind, and it makes for a long, flat, hot, windy ride.
Barb and Brendan (from Virginia):
Today's ride was along a straight flat road, with fields of corn, wheat, and other crops on either side. I felt like I was definitely in the breadbasket of the nation. Unfortunately, it was like today was baking day, and someone left the oven on!

I'm riding across South Dakota
on my way now to west Minnesota
when it's hotter than hell
what I dream would be swell
'd be a tall, ice-cold glass of cream soda

Our dinner was at a local restaurant, and we had much to celebrate. Happy 21st Birthday, Chad!
Happy 52nd Birthday, Janet!
Janet is showing all of us her amazing ability to walk across a room on her hands!
Downtown Miller on a Tuesday evening.

Day 22!

2008-07-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

Kadoka, SD to Pierre, SD - 96.3 miles, 7:10

The word for today is "endless."

Some views of the prairie:
The endless ribbon of highway. That was what I saw all day long.
The Little Brown Church on the Prairie. It really is all by itself.

The rolling hills went on forever. There was nothing but prairie as far as the eye could see. The heat was unbearable (Ash's bike thermometer read 102 as we neared Pierre), and at 8:00 pm bank thermometers downtown said it was still 98 degrees. The flies were relentless, biting even as we were riding down the highway. This was not the best day . . .

We are now in the capital city of Pierre (pronounced "peer"), and we've changed to Central Daylight Time!

Day 21!

2008-07-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Rapid City, SD to Kadoka, SD - 104.6 miles, 7:29

When I heard that we were going to ride 100+ miles through the Badlands of South Dakota, fear and dread ran through my head. "Oh no! It's going to be dry and hot and miserable!"

I was wrong. This was probably one of the most memorable rides I've done, so far, and I'm sure that when this Big Ride is done, I will look back on it as one of the best days of the trip.

One thing that made it so nice was the weather. It was fairly cool. By cool, I mean it was in the mid 80s. We've had 100+ degree days, so anything below 90 feels wonderful.

When you're in the middle of nowhere, big bales of hay can make convenient rest stops, and that's all I'll say about that.
The Cheyenne River. Those "spots" are birds.

What? Dinosaurs in South Dakota?

South Dakota Longhorns!
As beautiful as the morning was, the Badlands were spectacular. I have seen the Badlands from a distance, from inside a car, but to ride my bike through that area was amazing. I took so many pictures, but I know that none of them can do it justice. You need to see it in person to see how beautiful it really is.

Sam riding up the road to Cedar Pass.
Tracy, me, Rosie, and Sam.
Another amazing attraction of the Badlands region: The World's Largest Prairie Dog.
Welcome to Kadoka, SD, our home for the evening. We camped in the city park.

Day 20!

2008-07-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Rest day in Rapid City, SD!

Rapid City has a nice old downtown area, and there are statues of all the presidents on each corner! Franklin D. Roosevelt is below giving his "day that will live in infamy" speech.

Barb, Kevin, and Bob are standing with Calvin Coolidge before we had breakfast at Tally's Restaurant (a great place!).
Canadians Ash and Pauline are getting chummy with Texan Lyndon Johnson.

There is a big park right near the downtown area, and they have a piece of the Berlin Wall there. There's a very interesting display that tells all about the history of the wall. I'm in front of it with Chuck and Patty.
Before lunch, Barb and I stopped in at a pet shop, and the owner, Patrick Paur, let us hold and pet his parrots! Here's Barb schmoozing with Bubba.

Day 19!

2008-07-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

Newcastle, WY to Rapid City, SD - 83.2 miles, 7:18

The word for today is "wind."

It was a great morning when we left Newcastle. There were quite a few hills, but it was cool, so I felt good and fast. I even passed a few people!

About 11 miles outside of Newcastle we entered South Dakota, our fifth state on this trip!
I'm in the back. In the middle row, L to R, are Pauline, Janet, Patty H., and Darrell. In the front row are Ash and Jim (from Illinois). We're all holding up five fingers, because it's (you guessed it) the fifth state we've been in.

A forest!

And trees! I love trees.
This was the site of a huge forest fire in 2000.

South Dakota, at least this part of the state, is very pretty, with lots of trees and rocky cliffs. It's also very hilly. We had lots of steep climbs and descents today.

Patty and Janet.

Patty, Janet, and Tracy.

Near the entrance to Custer State Park, a BEAUTIFUL place!

In Custer State Park. This has got to be one of the most beautiful state parks (or national parks, for that matter) that I've been in.

We were warned that there are bison in the park, and to "use great caution." Unfortunately, we didn't see any. But, even better than bison, we saw wild donkeys in the park! They were right by the side of the road, and there were several babies in the group. So cute!

Tracy and Janet enjoying the donkeys.

So, back to the wind. It was a bit windy in the morning, but not bad, and it was very cool. I like cool! After we left Custer State Park, the wind started picking up. We were heading east, and we had a side wind most of the time. It was gusty at times, we had to focus on not getting blown over, and now I know what it feels like to be sandblasted!

With about 15 miles left in our ride, we turned to the north to head into Rapid City. We were riding straight into a headwind, and this wasn't any old wind. It was powerful. I couldn't go much over 5 mph going up hills that weren't very steep. Going downhill I could go about 10 mph. All I could think was, "At this rate, it'll take me 2-3 hours to get to Rapid City!" Fortunately, Janet, Patty, Tracy, and I started a little paceline so that we could draft off of each other (my first paceline), and it helped. Also, just having them nearby gave me moral support. They pulled me into Rapid City!

After I checked into my dorm room here at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (go SDSM&T Rockers!), I checked the weather for this area. A wind advisory was issued. Winds were 25-35 mph, with gusts to 50 mph! No wonder I was so slow!

Several of the riders and I agreed that we'd take wind over heat any day. Even though this was a long day, it was cool (73 when I got into Rapid City this afternoon), and I didn't feel as wiped out as I did on the long hot rides we did yesterday and Wednesday. Wind is okay!

Tomorrow is a rest day!!!

Across this great country I'm roaming
it's so hot that my poor feet are foaming
I hope it's an iota
cooler in West South Dakota
than where I have been in Wyoming

Day 18!

2008-07-10T15:48:00.001-07:00

Gillette, WY to Newcastle, WY - 77.9 miles, 5:58

This morning, before we left Gillette, a reporter came to interview several of the riders. I was interviewed, but (darn) I didn't make the cut. Anyway, if you want to see the article, I'm going to make you work. Google the Gillette News Record, and search "Big Ride."

Two days ago, when we went from Hardin to Sheridan, one of the riders (Cliff) had a run-in with a truck. This is what is left of his bike:

Amazingly, other than a few scrapes, Cliff is fine! That's him on the right. Daniel is on the left. He took yesterday off, but today he got back on a bike (Daniel's) and rode. We're all so glad that's he healthy and back with us on the ride!

Back to today's ride: It was similar to yesterday's ride, BUT it was about 40 miles shorter and there were less hills. It was still hot, though, and just in case you've forgotten, I HATE hot weather. (Yes, the weather's affecting me. It's causing this blog to be dull and uninteresting.)

Much of the ride today included treeless rolling hills and long, hot highways. That's Tracy getting back on the road.

We took a quick break to visit Old Town Upton, Wyoming. That's me, Janet, and Tracy.
Patty H. and I (on the left) are sitting in front of an old sod house:

Tracy and Reuben (from Minneapolis) in front of the sod house.

Some riders (Janet, Patty H., and Tracy) posing in front of the House of Ill Repute. Where are the customers?

Lunch in Upton was at Polly's Pub & Grub.

Lunch customers Pauline and Ash are in the back, and Janet, Patty H., Kevin from Indiana, and Tracy are at the table.

Around Upton there were trees again! Trees make me think of cool, home-like weather. I need to change my thinking . . .

The trees are disappearing again.

Newcastle is our stop for tonight. We're staying in a great place! They took an old elementary school, and converted it to a senior center. There are cozy rooms all around the building, and all of us agree that we could be happy here for quite awhile. But, that's not to be. We're heading to South Dakota tomorrow.

Day 17!

2008-07-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

Sheridan, WY to Gillette, WY - 114.0 miles, 9:18

What can you say about a ride that's 110+ miles, where uphills outnumber downhills by about 37 to 1 (okay, so maybe I exaggerate a little), there are no towns (other than Ucross, population 25, and Spotted Horse, population 2), it's hot, and there's no shoulder to shield you from the trucks passing by at about 90 mph? All during the ride today, I was thinking, "Today I'm going to tell the truth in my blog. I'm going to say that today's ride was MISERABLE!"

By the end of the ride, when Gillette was still miles away, I was running out of water, my feet were burning, and I didn't think I'd make it. I stopped in at the first convenience store I saw in Gillette, and saw Rosie and Darrell there. After a cold chocolate milk, some Gatorade, and their encouragement, I had enough strength to pedal into camp.

After a nice long shower, a foot-long sub sandwich, and a Rocky Road milkshake, I still feel the same way about today's ride. This was not a fun day today!! (There, I said it. I feel so much better!)

Now, for the good stuff: the pictures! This was not far from Sheridan. It was still cool, and I was a happy rider.
More cool morning scenery:
It's starting to get hot:
Spotted Horse, Wyoming. Be warned: The owner of the bar there (the only establishment in 'town') is a little crotchety.
Yeah, these clouds might make you think it was a nice, cool summer day. Don't be fooled.
An antelope out on the range, looking for a deer with whom to play.
This is not the sign you want to see when you've already ridden 90+ miles and Gillette is your destination.
Newcastle is our destination for tomorrow. If I still had brain cells left, I'd be able to tell you how many miles that is. Can any Room 9 students (past or present) do the math for me??

Day 16!

2008-07-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hardin, MT to Sheridan, WY - 86.8 miles, 6:18

Today's ride was long, but pretty flat and easy for 80+ miles. We left Hardin and rode a frontage road parallel to I-90 most of the day. Barb and I rode together the whole day.

Something we never see at home: Trains pulling dozens of cars filled with coal. We saw several of these.

Most of our ride south of Hardin to the Montana-Wyoming border was through the Crow Indian Reservation. We passed by a park dedicated to veterans.

The Little Big Horn River meandered next to us most of the day.

An interesting old grain elevator:

Welcome to Wyoming! As soon as we crossed into Wyoming, cows were happily mooing, deer played, and life became just that much easier.

Since I was starving, Barb and I made a detour into the little town of Ranchester, WY for a snack. Here's a picture from that town for Halla!
Mark, Amy, and Nick (our support crew) deserve a special thanks today for taking such good care of all the riders. Thank you!

Day 15!

2008-07-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

Billings, MT to Hardin, MT - 52.1 miles, 3:36

Only 52 miles! In my "previous life" I never would've believed that 52 miles would be an easy, short ride, but it sure was! It was a perfect day. It was cool, the scenery was great, and it was a wonderful ride.

I started out riding with Bob (from Selah) and Barb. That's Billings way in the background.
Some scenery along the way:

Look at my odometer! 1,000 miles!!! I'm almost a third of the way across the U.S.!!

More of the landscape:

With only 52 miles to ride, we arrived at our destination, Hardin, before noon. Barb, Tracy, Bob, Steven (from North Carolina), Darrell, and I found a great little pizza shop downtown, but we didn't order pizza. We had Indian tacos, and they were so good!

Montana Cow Pie for dessert. YUM!

The woman at the pizza shop was so kind and helpful. She found a driver to take a few of us to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. It was amazing to be in a place where the Native Americans won a battle. Unfortunately, they lost the war. This was my favorite artwork at the monument:

A monument for the horse cemetary:

There is a National Cemetary at the Little Bighorn.

Tomorrow, Wyoming!

Day 14!

2008-07-06T19:12:00.001-07:00

Rest day in Billings!

I took it easy today.

You'd think that near a university there'd be lots of cool, funky places to eat and hang out. Not so, near the University of Montana, Billings. The closest place for breakfast was a Perkins, several blocks away. Neither cool, nor funky, but I had a good breakfast there with Liz and Janet.

The rest of the day was extremely exciting: laundry, bike-cleaning, blog-updating, and even some relaxing reading.

Janet, Barb, Liz, and I walked quite a ways downtown for dinner. Old horseshoes around a tree in downtown Billings:

An old library building:
Notice the horse on the porch:
This city, which reminds me a lot of Yakima (though Billings is bigger and newer), is very deserted on a Sunday evening.
After the walk back to the dorm, I, the sweaty pig that I am, was a sweaty pig. Now, you know.

A lousy Big Ride limerick:

So this gal pedals up hill and down
on the passes she tries not to frown
she shifts to low gear
then wonders, with fear,
"is there a bathroom in the next tiny town?"

If you pass through Montana you'll see
a nice healthy bush or a tree
by the side of the road
(the next line's in code)
it was fertilized by none other than me

Day 13!

2008-07-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Harlowton, MT to Billings, MT - 92.6 miles, 6:23

Thanks to the motel we stayed in, I had the best night's sleep I've had since I started this ride. I think I was asleep before 9:30, and I woke up refreshed before 5:30. Barb, Janet, Liz, and I all agreed that we need to treat ourselves to more motel rooms before this ride is over.

This morning was great! It was cool, there was a tailwind, and I felt strong and fast. Most of the time we've been riding into the wind, fighting it, and it felt great to have that extra little push from behind.

Some pictures from the morning:

Those little dots are sheep:
The first rest stop was at Ryegate. Darn, I'm too late!
This cliff was home to dozens of bird nests, which you may be able to see if you click on the picture:
I was being watched:
Lavina is a tiny town, and nothing was open on this Saturday in July:
There's not much to see as you head south to Billings:
Billings, the largest city in Montana, is like an oasis in the desert. It's in a valley, surrounded by sandstone cliffs on the north and east.
We have an especially good view from our dorm at Montana State University, which is on the north end of town. This is the view looking south after a brief rainstorm:
Tomorrow is a rest day, and I plan to do a lot of relaxing and sleeping!

P.S. Since spammers have found my blog, and I don't know how to delete the offensive comment, I'm hiding the comments for this post. Now, all comments have to be approved by me first, and they'll be posted as soon as I okay them!

Thanks again for all the comments, and keep them coming!!

Day 12!

2008-07-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

Townsend, MT to Harlowton, MT - 103.4 miles, 8:39

Leaving the lovely town of Townsend this morning, riding through the streets deserted of cars, a local yelled at us, "Get out of the road!"

After riding along the high plains for awhile, we entered Deep Creek Canyon. It was so pretty!
The only town between Townsend and Harlowton is White Sulphur Springs. We were there just as the town 4th of July parade was going on. Small town fun!
The most interesting "float" was a truck blazoned with Confederate flags. I figured it was a group of local rednecks, but there was a young black woman in the back of the truck, holding a flag. Very strange and disturbing.
At the Checkerboard Bar, a wide spot in the road, I stopped for a cold root beer. The owner of the bar said that 40 folks live in that area in the winter, but a few more live there in the summer. The land around there is so beautiful. It's open range land, so of course I had "Home on the Range" running through my head during that part of the ride.
As we got closer to Harlowton, the landscape changed again. It became drier, with sagebrush where it's not irrigated. There was a thunderstorm in the distance, and we (Janet, Sam, Darrell from Spokane, and Patty H. from Puyallup) were all trying to get to camp before it hit us. I felt a few sprinkles, and the wind was really blowing, but those behind us weren't so fortunate. They got hailed on.

Barb got to Harlowton early and had the great idea to get a motel room, so Liz, Janet, and I are staying with her. It's so nice to be in a quiet, air-conditioned room with a bathroom! (Left to right: Liz, Barb, Janet)
Today was so hot (until the thunderstorms came and cooled things down), that I was thinking, "I should've signed up for the Big Ride Across Antarctica." Some day I may get used to the heat, but it hasn't happened yet, and it makes this ride really difficult sometimes. It's so hard, but I will finish.

Day 11!

2008-07-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Avon, MT to Townsend, MT - 62.5 miles, 5:06

You know your perspective on things has changed when a 60 mile day is a short day. I think I'd like more of these . . .

This morning, after packing my wet, dew-covered tent, I headed out from the campground to tackle McDonald Pass. It was a not-too-steep (but steeper than Snoqualmie Pass) 4-mile ride to the top. Other riders were flying up compared to me, but I made it, too. I crossed the Continental Divide!

After that, there was a 12-mile descent. We were warned about keeping our speed down, not over-heating the rims with too much braking, and stopping if our hands cramped up, but this descent was much less scary than the one into Vantage or even the one into Missoula. There were also really beautiful views of the valley down below.
Rosie, Barb, and Chuck (from Maryland):
Barb and Chuck:
We rode through Helena on Hwy 12, and it was definitely not the scenic route through that city. The landscape is changing. It's drier, and there are fewer trees. It's not quite as scenic as what we saw in Idaho and Western Montana, as least to my biased NW eyes.
Tonight we're camping on the football field at Broadwater HS in Townsend. The next two days are 90+ days (both mileage and weather!).

Update:
Later that night after dinner, someone drove by in a truck and yelled, "Hey, you hippies! Why don't you get a job?" Welcome to rural Montana, I suppose.

At about 9:30, when we were all getting ready for bed (I was in bed trying to sleep), it started to thunder and lightning hard. All of a sudden, Daniel yelled at all of us to get into the school gym until the storm passed. It started to rain hard, the wind blew, and we watched from the safety of the school as many tents were blown down. A lot of unhappy riders had to drag their wet things into the school that night.

I learned two things:
1) My tent is very secure and waterproof in a rainstorm,
2) D'oh! I should've closed my tent "windows" before I went into the building! (Fortunately, only a little rain got in my tent.)

Day 10!

2008-07-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Missoula, MT to Avon, MT - 101.4 miles, 8:25

This was an almost perfect ride. It was mostly cool, especially in the morning, and absolutely beautiful all along the route. There were picture postcard views almost every few feet, and I had to resist the urge to stop and take pictures all day long.

Barb, zooming down the road:
Barb, Chad, Simon (from Maine), and Brendon (from Virginia) making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at a rest stop:
Dewayne (from California) and Sam:

Tomorrow, the continental divide!

Day 9!

2008-07-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Rest day in Missoula! We're staying in a dorm at the University of Montana campus.

A little visitor to my and Barb's dorm room window:
You know things have changed when sleeping in until 5:00 AM is a wonderful thing. Waiting until 7:00 when the restaurant opens is not so great, but c'est la vie.

This morning was spent walking around downtown Missoula with Liz (from Seattle), Rosie (from Wisconsin), and Barb. We visited the Adventure Cycling Association headquarters, where, since we cycled to Missoula, our pictures are now posted. Yes, I am an adventure cyclist now. Be very impressed.

The Clark Fork River runs through the middle of Missoula.
Tomorrow will be another long day . . .

Day 8!

2008-06-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Thompson Falls, MT to Missoula, MT - 104.4 miles, 8:14

Today was supposed to be just as hot as yesterday, and since we had further to go, this cyclist skipped the free breakfast and got on the road at 5:30 am. It was nice and cool, so I was able to ride pretty quickly. Besides getting me to my destination that much quicker, the mosquitos don't seem to fly as fast as I can ride, so I was able to avoid them. Douglas (from Camas) was not so lucky. He got a flat tire early on, and was literally covered with mosquitos while he was changing the flat. He is now known as Mosquito Guy.

Several of us stopped for breakfast in Paradise, about 30 miles down the road. Yes, I was in Paradise for awhile today.

I think I've discovered a new law of physics. The new law is: with increasing temperatures, my miles per hour drop drastically. I'm still working on the equation . . .

I didn't get as many photos today, since much of the road today was without any shoulder, right next to drivers going 70 mph. I spent a lot of time just looking at the white line!

The most interesting part of today's ride was meeting and talking with John, from Fairbanks. He's not part of our Big Ride group, but he was doing his own even bigger ride. He left Fairbanks 36 days ago on bike, and is heading to Colorado for a family reunion. Not only is he carrying all his gear, but he's got a trailer on the back for his dog! He said he's never done anything like this before, but he definitely wants to do it again. Very inspiring.

Now, we're staying in dorms at the U of Montana, and tomorrow is a rest day! I hope it's as good as my rest day in Spokane. That might be difficult . . .

Day 7!

2008-06-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

Sandpoint, ID to Thompson Fall, MT - 90.4 miles, 7:22

This was probably one of the most beautiful routes I've been on. Most of the morning was spent pedaling in a valley past Lake Pend Oreille, past creeks and rivers, and there were mountains on either side of us.

We're in Montana!

Welcome to Montana?

The later part of the day was just as beautiful as the morning, but it was SO HOT! I don't do well in heat, so this ride was miserable. When I arrived in Thompson Falls this afternoon at 5:15 the thermometer in town read 111 degrees! Fortunately, the high school is letting us sleep indoors tonight. No worries about the heat OR the bears in town. (Daniel, our ride leader, spotted a mama and baby bear not far from here. Yikes!)

Dinner was at a local restaurant.

Day 6!

2008-06-28T19:17:00.001-07:00

(Day 5 (yesterday) was a rest day in Spokane. Besides shopping for things I needed, getting my defective bike shoes replaced (yay!), and doing laundry, I had fun relaxing and seeing a tiny bit of Spokane, such as the Milk Bottle restaurant.)

Spokane, WA to Sandpoint, ID - 79.3 miles, 6:24

Just north of Spokane I saw the most amazing site. It's something I thought I'd never see, and I think that seeing it has made this whole trip worthwhile. Yes. I saw a gas station selling regular gas for under $4.
Oh my.
Global climate change has affected the flora and fauna of northeastern Washington.

The little town of Newport, WA was having a parade for their rodeo days. We were almost a part of it. The best part of that town was Owen's Drug store soda fountain. I've decided that if I can have a real milkshake in a soda fountain every day on this ride, I will be a happy cyclist.

I made it to Idaho!!
Some more pictures of the beautiful scenery we passed:

The weather is getting hotter and hotter. This Pacific NW native is not used to the heat, and I don't like it! One good thing, though. The heat makes me forget about my sore rear end and feet.

Days 3 and 4!

2008-06-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Day 3 (yesterday) - Vantage, WA to Odessa, WA - 85.4 miles, 6:57

I know why the restaurant in Vantage is called "Blustery's." The wind kept most of the riders awake all night long! I think I slept a little bit, and some didn't sleep at all, but sleep or no sleep, we rode hard that day.

This is the first day that we all left in a big pack, following Daniel (our ride leader) in the big truck across the I-90 bridge and up the hill on the opposite bank of the Columbia. The bridge is fairly narrow, so this was a way to keep us all safe.

At the top of the cliff, we could see the statues of horses in the distance. Did you know that Grant County is the nation's leading producer of potatoes? Now you know.

I rode with Barb and James (from Michigan) for much of the morning. It was flat, cool, and very enjoyable.

Thank goodness for McDonalds in Ephrata. I didn't have to use the field. Yes, for THAT. I haven't yet, but my time will come . . . and there will be no photographic evidence.

Not long after I left Ephrata (I was pedaling solo at this point), I saw a chalk sign on the side of the road. "Ice cream ahead." Daniel was handing out ice cream cones at one of the water stops. Rocky road!

After that, I rode with Janet (from Whidbey Island) and Sam (from Olympia) for the rest of the afternoon. We used any excuse we could find to stop and give our sore rear ends a break. "Look, a bird!" "Oh, I want to photograph that cliff." It was a long, hot ride into Odessa. This was definitely the most difficult day so far, but the reaction of the folks in Odessa made it worth it. "You guys are amazing!" I felt more tired and sore than amazing, but that was nice.

Some views of the route:

After a stop at the store for some refreshing chocolate milk, it was up the hill to the high school, where we set up our tents in the field. (Big Riders like to set up their tents in an orderly fashion. I like that!)

Dinner was at the Odessa HS cafeteria.
Day 4 (today) - Odessa, WA to Spokane, WA - 79.3 miles, 5:32

This was the best day, so far!

It was a chilly, but beautiful morning when we left Odessa. Not long into the ride, I could feel that the clip on my left shoe was getting loose. Fortunately I saw Nick (our mechanic, from Maryland) by the side of the road, so he worked on it for awhile. I hobbled over to the other side of the road, one shoe off, one shoe on, to take a picture. (Nick is second from the left, then Barb, Janet, and Jim, from Illinois.)

I rode with Barb, Janet, and Sam, then later with Janet, Sam, and Ash and Pauline (from Vancouver, BC). Ash did the ride a few years ago, and is doing it again with Pauline, his wife. We had heard from one of the other riders about a great place for milkshakes in Davenport, and when we got there, Ash knew exactly where it was. I scarfed down a sub sandwich, then shared a blackberry milkshake with Janet. There's nothing better on a hot day. (L to R: Pauline, Ash, Janet, Sam)

We are given cue sheets every morning that tell the directions for that day's ride. Beside the directions are notes, such as, "Caution - use care when crossing to left lane in traffic." One of the notes said "Begin gradual 9 mile climb after town." The slope of this hill was almost non-existent. I, the tortoise-like rider that I am, was going 15-16 mph "up" this "hill." Near Spokane we encountered some real hills, and they were not on the cue sheet!

Moral: Take all cue sheet notes with a grain of salt!

Some views as we neared Spokane:
Sam:Chad and Greg (from Nebraska):

We're staying in dorms at Gonzaga University, and tomorrow is a rest day!! Time for laundry, runs to REI for much-needed items, and time to SLEEP IN!

Days 1 and 2!

2008-06-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

I've finished two days of the Big Ride!!!

Day 1 (yesterday) - Seattle, WA to Easton, WA - 95.2 miles, 7:42I got to the start line at the UW by 6:30 am. I loaded my bags on the truck, took pictures, and watched the other big riders arrive. At about 7:00 we left, pedaling north along the Burke-Gilman trail. Mike rode with us, and Pat joined us a little ways north. They rode with Barb and I until Marymoor Park. (Mike's on the left. Pat's on the right.)

Once we left Marymoor, Barb, Clifford (from Arkansas), and I took the scenic route (AKA we got lost). Instead of following the route, we ended up riding along Lake Sammamish to Issaquah. From there we took I-90 eastbound for awhile, until Sharon (ALAW staff) guided the poor lost souls back to the real route. Fortunately, we only went an extra 3 or so miles. It could've been worse.

Then, it was time to scale Snoqualmie Pass. For those who know Vancouver, it's not any steeper than Lakeshore, but it goes on and on forever! At exit 47, we were able to get off the freeway and ride Denny Creek Road to the summit. I rode with Tracy (from North Carolina) for this part of the ride. There was snow alongside the road, which wound up through the forest. Beautiful!
Lake Keechelus is just east of the summit, and I remembered how pretty it was from when I used to drive over the pass to Whitman. It's even more beautiful when seen on two wheels.

After the summit, it was a mostly level or downhill ride to Easton. We camped at Lake Easton State Park, which is nice, but VERY close to I-90. Those truckers must never sleep!

Day 2 (today) - Easton, WA to Vantage, WA - 74.7 miles, 5:20

5:00 comes awfully early, but I was up and ready to go. After I packed up my tent, it was off to the "kitchen" for some oatmeal, milk, hardboiled egg, and bagel and cream cheese. After loading my bags on the truck, Barb and I headed east.

Most of the early part of the day was flat or downhill. There was one short steep hill between Easton and Cle Elum, and my thighs were complaining. "We worked hard yesterday! What's up with this?"

It was beautiful, though.

After riding through Cle Elum, we got on SR 10 to Ellensburg. If you ever are driving east along I-90, get off and take this road. You won't be disappointed.One nice thing about this ride is how they take care of us. There are 4 support people in three vehicles. They set up two or three checkpoints along the route, sometimes just long the side of the road, where they provide water, gatorade, and snacks. They also check off who's been there, so that they know where everyone is. It's nice.

The only rough part of the ride was between Ellensburg and Vantage. It was a slow uphill for me (Barb raced well ahead of me), then a fast, long, scary downhill. I don't like going fast, and all I can think of, when I'm going above 30 mph, is, "Man, it would hurt if I fell!"

Tonight we're camping at a nice place in Vantage, and there's a view of the bridge and hill that we'll be crossing tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for all the positive comments and support. It's great to read those.

So far, this ride has been wonderful. Everyone is so nice, the weather has been perfect, the hills haven't been too steep, and I can really see that it's going to be a great adventure!

All my bags are packed

2008-06-22T05:22:00.000-07:00

I'm ready to go . . . I think!

Later this morning we leave for Seattle. I'll drop my stuff off at Mike's house, go visit with my mom, meet with the other Big Riders at 5:00, have a pasta dinner with Mike after that, and then try to sleep tonight. We meet at the starting line by 6:30 tomorrow morning and will leave by 7:00.

This is it! This is what I've been training and preparing for since this fall/winter! I'm both excited and nervous.

If my technology doesn't fail me, my next post will be from the road!

Strawberry Century

2008-06-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

Barb Greenebaum and I drove down to Lebanon, OR for our last big ride before THE Big Ride. We started at Lebanon High School and rode around Linn County past tree farms, sheared sheep, covered bridges, more creeks than I could count, and the Foster Reservoir. We went through the towns of Waterloo, Sweet Home, and Brownsville.

This was a fairly easy ride with only one awful hill (coming out of Sweet Home) that seemed to go straight up forever. It wasn't all suffering, though. We both managed to pass a man as we pedaled up the hill, and that's always a reason to celebrate. (I'll conveniently leave out the fact that he was elderly . . . )

This ride was probably the most beautiful bike ride I've ever done. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, and it didn't hurt that the weather was perfect. The strawberry shortcake with ice cream at the finish line sure hit the spot. I'll definitely do this ride again.

Hey!

2008-06-08T18:14:00.001-07:00

Happy 21st Birthday, Halla!

Pioneer Century - the penultimate training ride!

2008-06-07T19:50:00.001-07:00

Barb Greenebaum and I did the Pioneer Century, and it was a good ride! The first thing I learned is to never wonder out loud, "Is this whole ride going to be flat? Where are the hills?" As soon as I said that, I was punished with more hills than I wanted (>3,000' elevation gain). And these weren't just hills. In some future geologic era, these will have uplifted into a new mountain range.

Anyway, my often-achy middle-aged left hip decided that this was a good time to ache, so my usual lack of speed at climbing hills was reduced to that of a snail's pace. Or maybe it was a slug's pace. At any rate, I was pedaling gastropod-like up those hills.

Eventually, the achiness went away, and I was able to, once again, pedal at the lightning-fast speed of a tortoise.

After 55 miles, we ended up back at the start and were treated with an amazing fajita lunch (what? I can't have more than 2?) and hammer dulcimer music! It was excellent, but then we had to pull ourselves away from all the food and free samples to finish the 45-mile portion of the ride.

This course featured the ever-changing headwind. The second thing I learned is to never assume that if you're pedaling into a headwind when you're going west that you'll get a tailwind when you return and head east. Definitely never say anything out loud about that! Mother Nature does not like it when you assume.

102 miles after we started (yes, they gave us two bonus miles), we both agreed that this was an excellent training ride for the BIG RIDE!

Last long solo ride before the Big Ride!

2008-05-31T21:56:00.000-07:00

I started out by riding to Frenchman's Bar, west and north along
the Columbia River, out near farmlands and the wildlife refuge.
There's also a beach where I watch the huge container ships from
Asia as they head to Portland. When I ride there I'm usually
completely alone with the herons, geese, coyotes, and squirrels.
It's great.

Not so today. There were dozens of other cyclists speeding past me in the opposite direction. It turns out that there was a triathlon going on there. So, for a short while, I could pretend I was a triathlete. (Thank goodness they didn't make me swim!)

First stop: Esther Short Park for a snack and a drink.

(Commercial break: The Vancouver Symphony will be playing a free concert there on August 28th!)

Then, I headed south across I-5, east along Marine Drive and the
bike path there, then north across the I-205 bridge bike path, which runs down the middle of the freeway. (Don't worry. I never leave the bike path.)

After my veggie burger and strawberry lemonade lunch at
Burgerville, I took the 34-mile RACC route east around
Lacamas Lake. The lake was absolutely beautiful.

Elvira joined me for the last 11 or so miles of my 90-mile ride. It's amazing how much easier it is to ride with someone else. I felt completely refreshed when she joined me.

HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY, Erin!

The Big Flight Across America

2008-05-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

I'm here in Atlanta for Erin's graduation from Spelman College, and I'm making this post from her laptop, which she is letting me borrow for the Big Ride. The next step in my new blog life will be to practice using the camera she gave me to post pictures.

I flew in about five hours yesterday what will take me 48 days to ride this summer. As we were flying east from PDX, I looked down and saw snow-covered mountains . . . lots and lots of them!

Objects below appear flatter than they actually are.

Yikes.

As soon as I get back home on Monday, I'll get back on the bike and ride up every hill I can find. Fortunately, that won't be a problem where I live. Thinking about it, this will be the last weekend until August 16-17, 2008 that I won't be riding my bike!

RACC (Ride Around Clark County)

2008-05-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today was the first SERIOUS organized ride of the season and my first long training ride for the Big Ride. (Last weekend I did the Monster Cookie metric century in Salem, but it was fairly flat. There were just a couple little hills.)

I rode the 65 mile RACC route, which is a great, but very hilly (3,000 ft. elevation gain), bike ride around mostly rural Clark County. We passed Lacamas Lake, forests, farms, vineyards, rural mansions, the Columbia River . . . it was a beautiful ride. The weather even cooperated by not raining!

The best part of the ride today was meeting Barb Greenebaum, from Hillsboro, OR, who will be one of my fellow riders on the Big Ride! She drove to my house, and we did the ride together from here. We met up with Elvira at her house, and she did part of the ride with us. It was a great day!