The Big Picture

Sitting in my living room in Southern Pines, there a few generalizations and observations of note.

The trip lasted forty-one days; of which thirty-eight involved riding. Rest days were required to accommodate bicycle repairs, my cold, and - in one case- a lift by car to transit a particularly desolate region in Northern Colorado. Rest days, in retrospect, tended to distract from the rhythm of riding. In some days they are more trouble than they are worth.

I covered a bit more than 2,100 miles, traveling across Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. I dipped my bike in Kansas vice the Mississippi River, but have no regrets over the shortened distance. If I want to complete the entire Trans America route I know where to begin. If, as I expect, I decide not to complete the entire route, than Kansas and Missouri had little to offer. Yest, I was spoiled by the experiences in the mountains.

I tried to spend less than six hours on the move in any one day, and was largely successful. I averaged 56 miles per riding day: my longest ride was 80 miles, and I exceeded 70 miles seven times: I exceeded a metric century on fourteen separate occasions. I imagine these averages would have increased had I continued riding.

There was a significant weight reduction during the course of the trip. I shipped upwards of ten pounds of gear home, including my cold weather gear once I hit Pueblo City and its 103-degree temperatures. I personally lost close to twenty pounds despite muscle build-up in the legs. I packed out about right: next time I will leave all cooking equipment home. I used it to make oatmeal one time.

Attrition: I had to replace brake pads, the rear tire, the rear rim (unexpected), and a set of riding britches(unexpected). My body also took a beating in the form of a severe headcold.

Lost: hat, sunglasses, liquid soap (four times).

Best Eats: Breakfast - Otis Cafe, Otis, Oregon
Lunch - Mimi's Cafe, Half-Way, Oregon.
Dinner - Brew Pub, Baker City, Oregon

Unexpected Disappointment: the quality of food was very uneven, making it difficult, at times, to obtain the 'fuel' I needed to sustain my riding. Too many times the choice was a hamburger or cheeseburger.

Unexpected Benefit: the beautiful vistas that constantly changed as I moved through the Western States.

Best Day: The ride over McKenzie pass and the subsequent thirty mile descent to John Day and Dayville. The vistas continued to change as I traversed one gorge after another.

Worst Day: My third day out when I was neither mentally or physically prepared to ride in the rain. (The ride to Kremmling, with my cold worsening qualifies was a strong runner-up.)

Best Luck: Meeting up with compatible riders to share camp sites and meals, and having a virtually rain-free trip.

Worst Luck: Coming down with a severe cold, which drained my stamina and forced me to refocus my energies and attention away from the ride.

Was it worth the effort and monies expended? I believe it was. I was really tested in fundamental ways - specifically, one must get from one place to the next regardless of weather, illness and the like. Life becomes very basic. where to eat, where to sleep, finding a shower and laundry, keeping a close watch on your bike, and the like. The highs came with completing a difficult assent and the down-hill that follows. The lows were few and far between.

With the bicycle, panniers, sleeping bag and tent paid for, it would be a shame if I didn't do this again. I don't see a one-two month trip in the offing, but I will begin planning a shorter ride. Upstate New York seems interesting as does New Hampshire and Vermont. I do know, now, that I can do it and that I enjoy doing it. I heartily recommend it to others. My thanks especially to Jodi for giving me the encouragement to undertake this venture.

Southern Colorado

How Many Days of This Would You Want to Cycle - SE Colorado

End of the Trail

End of the Road

Snake River

The Snake River, Oregon

Red Hills

The Red Hills, Wyoming

The Tetons

The Grand Tetons

Big Hole Valley

Big Hole Valley, Montana

White Bird

Climbing White Bird with a Storm on my Heels

Top of the Hill

The trucks are going down what I came up.

Camp Site

My campsite - Jackson is in the background

The Snake

Picture George and the Snake River- Eastern Oregon

Three Sisters

The Sisters- McKenzie Pass

Oregon Coast

The Oregon Coast

At last.. The Rockies

At Last the Rockies

Highest Summit

As High as It Gets: the pass over the Rockies

A Slight Change of Plans

Joplin, Missouri

I have decided to call it a day. Jodi was ready to return home and I had no real reason to discourage her from leaving early. Riding through Kansas and Missouri is an integral part of the Ocean-to-Ocean experience, but I currently have no intentions of completing the entire trip. If I do I can always start in Tribune where I left off. The persistent cold has made the trip difficult: camping out has given way to second rate hotels, and my concern over the lingering congestion and coughing has taken a prominant role in the ride. I'll sum up the details and give final observations later, but this summer's ride is at an end. It was great, particlarly when healthy.

At Last - Kansas

Wednesday
Ordway to Eads: 67 miles; 6:15 moving time

There is nothing to recommend this 70 miles: rolling hills running due East with a road that is punctuted by butt-wrenching cracks. The earth is hot and dry and the benefit of late afternoon clouds was more than offset by a persistent headwind. The difference from the previous several weeks is pervasive: I think the only reason one would choose to ride these roads is to get from the East to the West Coast. My cold is improving but still troublesome. The food choices were even fewer than the night before: hamburgers are becoming an evening staple.

Thursday
Eads to Tribune, Kansas: 60 miles: 6:00 moving time

The roads continue straight, with sight-lines of up to seven miles. You see your destination - a a grain elevator - and than commence to cycle for upwards of forty-five minutes to get there. The towns are different than those in the West: there is much less money and thus the availablity of decent foods is hit or miss with the emphasis on miss. It is really hard to get the nutrition you need for the rides. The gaps between places for liquid replenishment are challenging. The land is turning greener as I ride East and the road has improved somewhat, but you are still dealing with trucks wizzing by at 65-70 mph with you on some sort of shoulder.

South-East Colorado

Tuesday

Pueblo City to Ordway: Mileage 50: riding time 4:00

Slept in 'till 8:00 and headed east toward Ordway. There is nothing in this part of Colorado other than prisons, a leading employer of the region. The roads are straight and rolling and I had to deal with a wind from the SE as I headed due East.

Ordway is a very small town with a low standard of living: the price of milkshakes has fallen from $4.50 to $1.99. The problem is finding tolerable food. People clearly lack the funds to eat out and there is no other traffic in the town. A real downer, to say the least. I stayed in a nice old hotel and tried a new cough fighting strategy - it worked!

What a Difference

Pueblo City, Colorado

Sunday
Breckenridge to Guffy Mileage 67.1: seat time 5:34

My appetite has returned at least, but I still spend considerable time dealing with my cold during the nite. I left Breckenridge early and took a steady approach to the assent of Hoosier Pass, a 2,00 foot climb to 11,542 feet. The grade was tolerable, but the combination of the high altitude and my congestion led to a number of short, breath-catching, stops. I couldn't believe the difference on the Southern side of the pass - no ski slopes, no resorts, no nothing. Guess where all the snow and rain falls. Fair Play, about twenty miles past the pass, featured an excellent pizza/sub shop. After this respite, however, things became very desolate.

Turns out there were no accomodations of any sort in the areas where I had expected them to be. I ended up riding far more than I wanted and had to transit a second, smaller, pass before staggering (no great exaggeration here) into a hole-in-the-wall called Guffy. A ghost town turned into an antique center (ragtag), Guffy did have a place with a cabin and an jury-rigged shower that worked fine. The TV had no reception but the owners had '50s movies for the VCR. The mini-town boasted its own black bear, who apparently had free roam.

At dinner -another hamburger- I met a couple going west to live near their grandchild. Turns out they sold their home in Massachusetts, sent their household effects ahead, and peddled their way across.

Monday

Guffy to Pueblo City Mileage 75.4: moving time 6:00

The day started with a terrific ride down a canyon, a 2,000+ drop over some fifteen miles. I was in Canyon City in no time. Cyclists had told me to take a different route to Pueblo City -- 36 miles on the shoulder of a divided highway. It was shorter, and offered the only way I could hope to make it in one day so off I went. Unfortunately the wind was in my face most of the way. Not unexpectedly the temperature started to rise as I continued to lose altitude.

Riding into Pueblo City I looked up to see the temperature was 103 degrees.

This trip now changed fundamentally. Climbing and coasting are out while 95+ degree days are a sure thing. Jodi has agreed to meet me along the trail circa 1 August. I should make it to Springfield by the 31st: it is 750 miles away and there are twenty days left in the month. We'll see what happens. If I get there early I will continue along the trail to the Mississippi. Much will depend on my cold and the direction of the winds.

A Tiny Little Ride

Saturday

Miles traveled 18: cycle time 2:00
As planned, I made no effort to extend myself and rode the bike trail from Silverthorne to Breckenridge. This area is obviously as vacation center of increasing importance, the mountain sides are replete with ski trails, there is a beautiful lake, a rejuvinated river for fishing, and a maze of cycle trails.

Today as I sauntered up the trail I was greeted, literally, by hundreds of cyclists flying down. Turns out today is the day of the Triple-Bypass Ride where cyclists each cross three different passes. Almost got run over a couple of times. I have access to a computer and tried to move my pictures to my storage device but it wouldn't take.

I hope to get a good nights sleep because tomorrow its over the top - a ten mile 2,000 foot climb followed by forty miles of downhill. I will give it my very best and, if I can't make it, will hitch a ride with no lost honor. Getting down to tolerable altitude and more humid conditions will help me with the cold.

Reflections

With only fifteen miles of riding scheduled for today ( a good thing as I had little sleep last night) its a good time for reflection. One of my reasons for the trip was to visit the North West and that has been accomplished. I believe I enjoyed the Montana valleys the best, particularly the Big Hole Valley. I also have found memories for the ever changing terrain and vegetation of Eastern Oregon. The small towns - friendly, good cafes, accommodating to cyclists- will long be remembered. Everything has been green, a real change, I have been told, from previous years. As I moved to the East and South the mountain ranges to my front increased in size until I finally reached the Rockies. I am informed that I will soon be in 100-degree weather and flat terrain, the exact opposite of what I have been used to. I have a sense that the second half of this trip will be quite different. I'm sure it will have its own sense of balance and beauty. For now I think I'll finish my ride, check into bed, and get some more rest.

Taken Hostage by a Common Cold

This missive is from Silverthorne, Colorado.

Wednesday
Mileage 62: moving time 5.29

Had a terrible time sleeping given a terrible headcold. Not only that, the sprinkler system was on in the city park, routinely spraying my tent for a number of hours. The ride to Kremmling was a long uphill in the sun and into the wind. The headcold sapped my strength and I barely made it in. Too bad I felt so bad as the ride was actually nice. By the time I arrived in Kremmling I was exhausted: I was too sick to eat - drank as much as I could, took Nyquil, and went do bed. I did take time to order new clips for my bike shoes. I had worn out the originals, primarily, I believe, by pushing off on them too often during frequents stops and starts on the uphill climbs.

Thursday
Slept in most of the day, taking time only to collect my clips and to do the wash. I managed some food but was not interested in eating.

Friday
Mileage 38: 3:57 travel time.
With my endurance under seige by this cold, I decided to take it easy the next two days and rode only to Silverthorne today. Tomorrow I will only ride twenty miles or so to Breckenridge, the last stop before the pass. The Rockies were in my face all day, a constant reminder of Sunday's climb over Hoosier Pass. I felt a bit better but am still weak.

On Line At Last

It's been several days since my last posting, but not for the lack of looking for opportunities. Frankly, being within Yellowstone was somewhat constraining with respect to camping and eating alternatives.

Tuesday
Mileage 18 miles: moving time 1 hour.

I rode to the Madison Campground just inside the park and hitchhiked back to West Yellowstone to join an animal sightseeing tour in the Northern Section of the park. I wasn't sure if the hitching would work as there were three of us, but it only took ten minutes before we were picked up. Two elk with their calfs watched the whole seen from some twenty yards away. Saw plenty of wildlife including a large Bison right in the midst of the Madison Campground where I had pitched my tent.

Wednesday
Mileage 38.8 : moving time 3.31 hours.

Stayed in the park, while crossing the Continental Divide twice. It was an easy ride despite the climbing. Saw Old Faithful-sort of- and watched a Bison hold up traffic exiting from the area. Camped at a Park Campground, which had two showers for over 150 camp sites. What a way to kill time.

Thursday

Mileage 58.5: 4:55 moving time.

Left the park and transited Grand Teton National Park. The views were spectular, at some points it felt like I was atop the world. It was a great ride, particularly when the sun broke out. Stayed at a National Forest Service campground in Moran Junction but I was able to walk back to the Hatchet Cafe and Motor Lodge for dinner and a shower. I'm glad we're getting out of bear country.

Friday

Mileage 49.2: 4:48 moving time.

Traveled from Moran Junction to Dubois by way of 9,658 Togwotee Pass, a climb of 3,000 feet. It was my best climb: I felt stronger and the the road did not contain major sections of steep grades. The views of the Grand Tetons riding up to the pass were eclipsed by views of Pinnacle Bute as I crested the pass and started dropping down.

Our group of East-Bound cyclists is growing. Byron is cycling on a tandem, alone, in memory of a high school friend who died of cystic fibrosis. He is raising pledges along the way. I met a West bound cyclist with a new Trek 520 just like mine. He also had to replace his rear wheel on the trip because of stress factures. Hum!

Saturday
Mileage 77.5 miles : 5:37 moving time.

I traveled from Dubois to Lander within the Wind River valley. The winds can be terrible with sustained gusts of 50 mph. When it goes against you -which it did- it is like climbing a steep grade. The ride was very hard work to say the least. We camped in a RV park on a bluff overlooking the city: what a beautiful sunset. I broke my helmet coming into town - not in a accident,fortunagely - and was not happy about the prospect of riding for two days without one. With this in mind, and facing the prospect of a hard two days into the wind in the middle of nowhere, I arranged a ride along with the Kiwis to Rawlins on Sunday. I came down with a terrible cold - maybe the cycling gods are taking retribution for my cutting corners on the ride.

Monday
Rode to Saratoga: 44.3 miles with 3:30 moving time.

I could have gone further but agreed to wait for Byron who had traveled the entire 120 miles from Lander to Rawlins the previous day. We hooked up that evening and camped out by the lake. Unfortunately, the RV park where I agreed to meet Byron was closed. I Took a hot bath in the hot spring - the city was previously known as Hot Springs, Wyoming - but no shower as it was broken. I did cool down in the river that ajoined the hot bath, however. The cold continues to gain strength.

After the 'swim' I returned to center city to find Byron's bike but not Byron. I waited an hour by the bike while Byron (it turned out) was eating. We camped by the town lake - a nice site actually - two miles out of town.

Tuesday

The easy day yesterday led to a 70.0 mile ride to Walden, Colorado: moving time of 6:35.

The wind was either at my back or to the side. This ride was in the middle of nowhere - large farms where the cattle and antelope intermingle: no place to stop for fifty miles. The cold makes it somewhat difficult but I'm here. Tomorrow Heather and Jackson veer off towards Boulder. They have been fine company, but I probably will travel with Byron through the balance of the trip should he catch up.

We camped in the city park, showering at a local laundromat for $5. I picked a soft grassy area, taking care to avoid a recessed sprinkler. Unfortunately, we returned from dinner to find the lights on at the softball field ajoining the park.