Renewing Spirits Bicycle Tour

COMPLETED!

2008-09-28T17:30:00.003-05:00

And it’s done! Yesterday I completed the ride, biking 52 miles to Des Moines. The weather was warm and full of the fall. Fittingly, there was a final set of challenges. There was a moderate afternoon wind from the west. I biked on Hwy 163 to Monroe, with busy traffic and no paved shoulder. Then I discovered there are many hills west of Monroe through Runnels. Finally, I took a wrong turn into Runnels and another in south east Des Moines.

Today seemed so familiar. The biking felt routine. I can't say I felt jubilant or exuberant, yet today was a celebration and a deep profound feeling of joy. With great satisfaction, I spent time reviewing the tour and all the events that have occurred. And it was as though the angels appeared one last time. They seemed to be present for the time it took too climb one hill. It was as though they were on fire or made of burnished bronze. I questioned the significance of the visage and received no answer.

I biked 3,873 miles over 49 days averaging 79 miles a day.
I have feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction, completion and joy. I truly have a renewed spirit. I have learned and grown. Have I changed in any fundamental way? I don’t think so, but I have been enriched by the experience and deepened as a person. I had wanted to do this right after college, but instead I happily married. I’m very glad I needed to wait as I shared the experience with Mary. And now that I’m older the experience has been richer. I’ll write more about that some time later.

Having had the opportunity for the ride has been a privilege. Physically, I started in good health. Then my broken bones healed in such a way that they didn’t cause pain and didn’t preclude completing it. Vocationally, I had the full support of Pine Rest leadership and all the Iowa staff, and was able to take the days needed. Finally, I had the full support of my wife, children, family and friends.

I have truly been blessed.

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31

Home at Last

2008-09-25T20:31:00.002-05:00

And we’re finally home. There are quite a few hills between Marengo and Pella and we pushed into a gentle westerly breeze, so it truly was a leg burning, lung busting day. I thought this would be an uneventful 68 miles. By now I should know better. I must be a slow learner

The most dangerous roads of the entire trip were within 10 miles of Pella. Close to Peoria, IA, on the road from New Sharon, there is a stretch of asphalt with a crack in the middle of the lane about 200 feet long. It was once tarred, but the tar has dried and it too is cracked. Water has eroded the crack so that it’s now 2-3 inches wide and goes through to the gravel below. Although I was leading, I didn’t notice it as my mind was beginning to wander thinking about home and work. Ron pointed it out to and commented on its dangerousness. I agreed. Then a water eroded sink hole suddenly loomed directly in front of me. Without thinking or warning Ron, I swerved to the left, hitting the side of his front tire with my rear tire. Ron briefly lost control and ran off the road. Fortunately he recovered without flipping off or falling over. Many years ago, I did wipe him out. He’s forgiven me he hasn’t forgotten it. He still teases me. After this incident I said he better stop biking with me because the next time I might kill him.

And then we got Pella. Just east of Vermeer Mfg, we ran the four way stop sign with the flashing red light. Immediately we were pulled over by a Marion County Deputy Sheriff. His lights were flashing. We didn’t se him so he used his siren to get our attention. As he came walking toward us, I prepared to explain that I was just so eager to get home after a 3,800 mile ride and after all I checked both ways before running the light. He met us with a big grin. Apparently the staff at the Pella Clinic called the Sheriff requesting he help play a practical joke on us. He thought it was a great idea and this was the outcome. Now the deputy, Matt B, wanted to return the favor so we developed a story. He called the clinic, saying he’d found us but he startled us with the siren causing us to run into each other and crash. One of us said his collar bone hurt and the EMTs were taking us to the ER to get checked out. Then he asked if there was somebody who could come get our bikes. They almost fell for it. It was great fun. What goes around comes around.

Probably Saturday, I'll complete the last 50 miles to Des Moines. I'm really looking forward to it. I compare it to last last day of the Tour de France; celebratory and largely symbolic.

The days are shorter. I saw soy beans being harvested. Milkweed pods are drying and opening. I’ve seen (and avoided) lots of fuzzy caterpillars on the road. It’s time to be home. It’s great to be home.

RAGBRAI Traditions

2008-09-23T19:34:00.003-05:00

For whatever reason, both MapQuest and Google Maps failed to give accurate distances on what became a short but windy 58 mile day. We left at sunrise to avoid most of the wind. As you can see from the picture of pond algae the wind was strong enough to push it all to the north end. Most of the day we went west or south. Oh well. In terms of the weather, for long distance biking, it’s best to say “It is what it is.”

Probably because we’re back in Iowa, several of the days’ activities seemed associated with RAGBRAI traditions. The Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa is a week long ride across the state of about 10,000 people. I’ve completed five of them. I’ve included a picture Ron and Mary are taking our version of a sag stop. On RAGBRAI, this would be in a town. We would have purchased food from a local vendor before returning to our support vehicle to swap stories of the morning. There’s a picture of me walking out of a corn field, another RAGBRAI tradition practiced by many. Finally, we had a couple miles of gravel. This seems to happen at least once a year on RAGBRAI. For the Renewing Spirits Bicycle Tour, this means I’ve ridden on Interstate highway, four lane roads, and two lane roads and now gravel.

Tomorrow will be about 67 miles home on familiar roads. Oddly, it doesn’t feel like the end of a journey. This is probably due to being home twice already, once after the accident and again just four weeks ago. It’s as though I should stop in, take care of a few things, and leave for yet another section of the ride.

Paradoxically, I can’t wait for tomorrow morning. I think I’ll be like a horse headed to the barn. I’ll gladly let Ron draft off me the whole way. Rain is coming this evening. The weather radar shows a narrow but intense red band north to south across the entire state. Tomorrow the temperature is to be in the mid to upper seventies with little to no wind, perfect conditions for a leg burning, lung busting finish.

Just Plain Fun

2008-09-22T21:13:00.003-05:00

From Savannah, IL to Anamosa IA, today was 69 miles of just plain fun. Anamosa has a state penitentiary and we should have been locked up because this much fun should be criminal. Yesterday we learned the bridge crossing the Mississippi River at Savannah was closed for repairs. Mary needed to make a 40 mile detour. Ron and I crossed on the “ferry” you see in the picture. The “ferry” clearly doesn’t meet the United States Coast Guard criteria. The operator markets the service as “voluntary” for a suggested $3.00 “donation.” Even so, he once had a sign on the pontoon boat suggesting the donation. The Coast Guard learned about it and told him to remove it.

My repaired, valiant, but wounded rear wheel finally gave out today. Ever since hitting a sink hole while leaving Wyoming, the rim has had a small flat spot. On smooth roads I could feel it like a mild bump. Some rough roads in Wisconsin and again this morning caused a few spokes to loosen and it started to wobble from side to side. It went bump, bump, wobble, wobble. Like the old Corvair, it was no longer safe at any speed. So I replaced it with Marty’s rear wheel. What an improvement. I was reluctant to make the change as his gear cluster is tighter which means climbing hills is harder. Fortunately the hills in Iowa aren’t as steep as the hills in Wisconsin. Also, today we had a little assistance from the wind. All in all this meant today was just plain fun. We went racing up the hills and roaring down them. They couldn’t slow us down. After the challenging hills of Wisconsin, it felt as though we conquered them at least for a day.

It’s a little difficult to comprehend we’ll be home in two days. It feels surreal. I need to and want to return to work first thing Thursday morning. On Saturday I plan to complete the last 55 or so miles to Des Moines. Then comes jury duty and who knows what else. Mary too will return to a full schedule. I want to spend some time discerning the significance of the ride, but we’ll both be pulled into a vortex of important activities that will limit the opportunity for reflection. I’m grateful that Mary and I both have blogs as journals and hundreds of pictures. For now, I’m going to savor the days that are left and return fully and wholeheartedly to my grounded life.

Memories

2008-09-22T16:29:00.003-05:00

Of today’s 86 miles, the first 75 were hills. Up and down. Up and down. There were many beautiful vistas winding along the tops of ridges between valleys. After starting near Dodgeville we passed through Mineral Point, Darlington, Shulsburg, Galena and Hanover IL before ending at the Mississippi Palisades State Park near Savannah.

More significant than the ride were the memories associated with this region. After graduate school, my first employment 28 years ago was in Darlington. I was the Lafayette County Coordinator of Services for Developmentally Disabled Adults or some such title. The building in which I worked no longer exists and neither does the agency which has been absorbed by some others. It wasn’t a good job. But this is where we adopted our daughter, Rachel. A co-worker connected us to her birth mom and the rest is history. We lived in Darlington just 18 months before I joined Pine Rest. It’s as though God put us there to adopt Rachel and then opened another door. Mary and I both remarked on the many core memories and formative experiences we have connected to the town and area. God was good to us then as he continues to be now.

The ride from Galena to Savannah is also full of memories, but they aren’t as important, just fun. These are bicycling related. The Tour of the Mississippi River Valley (TOMRV) is an annual two day ride in June that goes from Davenport to Dubuque and back again. It uses different roads each way so the first day is 104 miles and the second day is 86. I’ve ridden it 12 or 13 times along with about 1,300 of my closest friends. Actually, I’ve ridden it with Don, Ron, Mary and my nephew Dustin. Tonight’s camp site is a SAG stop on TOMRV. I’m strongly considering riding it again next summer, so if any of you want to join me for a strenuous, picturesque ride along and up and down the bluffs of the Mississippi, let me know.

Into the Hills

2008-09-20T20:13:00.001-05:00

Eighty two miles brought us out of the relatively flat and lovely eastern and central Wisconsin into the quite hilly and equally or more lovely southwestern Wisconsin. This is the drift less area, meaning it wasn’t leveled by glaciers. Our first 42 miles went well. We met Mary for lunch near Oregon, WI, then the land and weather changed. We had a small head wind. The temperature warmed. And we had hills. There were at least four long hills that my experience tells me were at least a six percent grade. A portion of one was more. With about 15 to 20 miles to go, I was quite tired, so Ron pulled me in. I drafted behind him, sitting on his rear wheel. It was a welcome break. Finally he too became tired, so we took a water break. We guessed we had up to 5 miles to go. Back on the road we went about a quarter mile around a curve and thereit was, Tom’s Campground near Dodgeville, WI. There was one last tortuous climb up to the camper and the days work was done. I'm tired, but it was good to be challenged again before the end of the ride. We’ll have more of the same tomorrow as we bike south into Illinois to the Mississippi Palisades Campground just north of Savannah, IL.

I’ve attached a few classic pictures. These are a farm duck pond, a small working dairy farm and a classic green tractor and bailer.

Section IV: Starting in Milwaukee

2008-09-19T19:10:00.003-05:00

After site seeing in Salem (see Mary’s blog), traveling to Chicago and spending two days with my brother Phil and his family, and then spending the night with Ron, his wife, their son and daughter in law, today we began the final section of the tour. This morning we (Ron, Mary and I) drove to the Lake Ferry dock in Milwaukee and began biking west. At least today, Milwaukee was a peaceful city. There was a designated bike lane most of the way to the suburbs. After that it got a little confusing.

Wisconsin has many paved roads, but almost none of them are straight. We started with plan A, which was to follow county road D to C to C1 to 106 and arrive at the campground at Hebron. We lost D in Waukesha. However, we biked over an overpass and saw a bike path below us. It was the Glacier Drumlin State Trail. So we switched to plan B, and road the trail for a dozen miles or so. It took us directly to C and we were back on our route. This is the kettle moraine section of Wisconsin and is very lovely. A moraine is an area of dumped glacial debris and the kettles are small ponds formed in areas of melted ice. Other than a 10-20 mile an hour head wind, it was a nice 48 mile beginning to the last small section of the ride.

Once again, it’s very nice to spend a few days biking with a friend. This isn’t to say I haven’t enjoyed biking alone, because I have. I think many of the blessings I’ve experienced on the ride have been due to its solitary nature. I can’t say time goes faster or slower with a companion or that the ride is easier or harder. It’s just a nice change. As with my brother in law Don, Ron and I have shared many life and biking experiences together. Biking together is familiar and comfortable. Welcome Ron.

Atlantic Arrival

2008-09-15T08:12:00.003-05:00

On this ride, it seems no day is predictable, probably due to regularly entering new and unfamiliar territory. The final 66 miles of Section III from Fitchburg to Salem was no exception. The start was delayed as it rained all morning. The weather radar showed the state covered with green interspersed with large patches yellow. Eager to get going and tired of waiting we finally just left. Fortunately it was a warm rain. The traffic gave me plenty of room. I hope this was due to my fluorescent lime rain jacket and flashing LED light, but it may be they were thinking I must be crazy to be biking in a downpour. The rain stopped around noon but it remained cloudy.

Quite a few of the drain covers in Massachusetts aren’t bike safe. They’re the old kind with the metal bars parallel to the road and no cross bars to stop a bike wheel from dropping in. This meant the primary concern for the day was deciding what to do with puddles. It was difficult to see into them. Rather than take a chance, I skirted most of them. The entire ride was through suburbs. Each had it’s own character from old and rich to newer and middle class and even a marginal slum in Beverly.

Completing Section III is very satisfying but I don’t have a strong reaction. I’m eager to return to the familiar Midwest and completing Section IV on known roads with a good friend, but it will be a few days before it happens. First Mary and I will spend a day sight seeing in Salem. Then we’ll drive to Chicago to visit my brother Phil and his wife Pam. The van needs to be serviced and the camper tail lights need to be checked. Finally, we’ll pick up Ron in Wheaton area and travel to Milwaukee for the last few miles. (It’s interesting how my definition of a “few miles” has changed. The “last few miles” will be around 390 miles)

The theme for Section III has been faithfulness. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. Contemplating on this simple, profound statement has been comforting no matter what unpredictable situation we’ve encountered. The theme song has been Pressing On: “Well I’m pressing on to the higher calling of my Lord.”

Massachusetts Pictures

2008-09-13T19:30:00.001-05:00

Transitions

2008-09-13T19:29:00.002-05:00

Again it rained overnight. It’s so nice to wake up during the night and listen to the rain, knowing that we’re warm and dry in the camper. The rain stopped by morning and I left on a 73 mile trip with wet roads and fog. There were slugs and snails on the road with a chorus of tree frogs in the background. The road conditions varied widely. Hwy 112 north to 2A was very good. Hwy 2A varied from a very nice paved shoulder to no shoulder and ruts in the asphalt. Today we transitioned out of the Berkshires and into a region with old worn out industrial communities such as Fitchburg where we’re staying tonight. It seems every town has at least one old closed brick factory for sale or lease. Many of the homes along the main roads were inexpensively built in the 20’s and 30’s. People are no longer investing in maintenance of improvements. All of this interspersed with beautiful old homes and churches, apple orchards and farm stands, stands of maple trees and evergreens, and still mill ponds reflecting the sky and trees. I think the biggest differences are no mountains and a denser population.

There’s a 40% chance of rain tomorrow. Even so, I plan to make every attempt to bike the last 63 miles to Salem and the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the convoluted roads Mary and I have mapped an indirect route. We take 2A to 110 to 225 to 62 which will take us to Beverly, MA just north of Salem. Then we’ll cross the Essex Bridge into Salem. I know I’m going to feel very satisfied. It will be a prelude to the satisfaction of completing Section IV.

Biking in the Berkshires

2008-09-12T19:29:00.001-05:00

We’re now in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains. The first 39 miles, out of a 73 mile total, were like yesterday. High traffic. High stress. Highway 20 out of Albany to Pittsfield, Massachusetts was the pits. First I had to walk over the Hudson River and there wasn't a biking or waling lane. Then shoulder was narrow and very rough. I used the brakes going down most hills. But after Pittsfield, Hwy 9 was beautiful and also great biking. It’s fun being back in the mountains one last time. I’ve been told the mountains in the east are shorter and steeper than those in the west. I agree they’re shorter, but I’m not certain they’re steeper. It could be I just handle them better.

Tonight we’re camping in the D.A.R. State Park. I’m not certain why the Daughter’s of the American Revolution need their own state park, but they have one. It’s so quiet compared to camping beside the interstate last night. If the rain stops as predicted, I’m looking forward to another lovely ride tomorrow. Due to lodging arrangements, tomorrow’s ride will be about 56 miles. That leaves 80 miles into Salem. There is no direct route into Salem. I’ll bike for a while and Mary will drive. Then we’ll meet and get coordinated for the next section. Depending on the hills, we may or may not make it to the Atlantic that day.

Signs to ponder:
On a grocery store: No food allowed.
On the road: Elderly crossing.
Reduced salt area. (Can roads have hypertension?)

Concentration

2008-09-11T17:49:00.002-05:00

Most of today’s 75 mile ride called for concentration. First it was biking in the fog e.g. past this Indian Castle Church built in 1769. Then it was biking through an industrial area east of Fultonville where there were several rock crushing businesses and one that made cement blocks, all of which required the services of many dump trucks. Finally from Schenectady on to the edge of Albany it was heavy traffic. In some places there was a narrow bike lane in others just a sign telling vehicles to share the road with the bicyclists. I concentrated on the bike lane to avoid sharp objects and another flat tire. I listened with concentration to vehicles approaching from behind while I was in the bike lane. I concentrated on missing bike lane obstacles by pulling onto the road. Then I again concentrated on vehicles approaching from behind. I concentrated while passing parked vehicles to avoid a suddenly opened door. Finally, I had to concentrate in looking for signs posting the bike route. In many ways this felt more challenging than biking 100 miles.

Tomorrow we move on to Massachusetts. We’ve been pondering how to cross the state. Other than biking on the interstate, which is illegal, there are no direct east to west highways. We asked at a bike shop and our best route selection was confirmed. We will cross northern Massachusetts on Hwy 2. This will mean more climbing, but we’ve been told it’s very scenic and that the road has a small shoulder.

105 Miles and another Flat Tire!

2008-09-10T18:34:00.001-05:00

It wasn’t supposed to be a 105 mile day, but we experienced destination creep. According to the biking map, Montezuma to Rome was barely 70 miles and I wanted at least 75. Orisanky was the right distance but had no campgrounds and neither did Utica further on. We found an option in Frankfort, but when Mary got there, it was closed as in no longer operating. The next town was Herkimer, which has a beautiful KOA. She called me to explain the situation. I was feeling good so I said OK, on to Herkimer. I rarely check my bike computer, so I had no idea of the distance until I arrived. It was a beautiful day with the temperature in the mid 60’s and very little wind. My computer said I spent six and a half hours peddling 105 miles.

Meanwhile I also had my fourth flat tire in seven days. This one was in Utica and the culprit was a rusty wood screw. Fortunately, the tire can still be used. So far, across the east I’ve seen bicyclist sign (peach pits, apple cores and banana peels) but no bicyclists. As I was pumping up the replacement tube, Mike came by on a tadpole recumbent pulling a Bob. He had a better pump than mine and I greatly appreciated his assistance. By the way, a tadpole recumbent has three wheels with two in the front. A Bob is one of the best brands of single wheel trailers for bicycles.

By one rural house, I was startled by domestic turkeys. They were standing beside the road making comments on what they observed. They reminded me of the turkeys my brother-in-law Darrel once had on the farm. They were semi tame and highly social and would gather around him while he worked, making comments like the birds I saw today. If he laughed they’d all gobble as though they were laughing too. Then he started telling them jokes and laughing. They gobbled in response as though they were in on the joke and thought it was very funny. I laughed just remembering it.

Herkimer is the source of the semi precious Herkimer diamond. Once again we’re camped by a stream. Probably 20 kayakers have gone past this evening.

New York Pictures

2008-09-09T19:21:00.002-05:00

These are pictures of a dairy farm across a wider spot on the Eerie Canal, Route 5 which is the bicycle route I'm following and an illustration of the wide biking shoulder which is almost a lane of its own.

Rain Delay

2008-09-09T19:20:00.001-05:00

The beginning of this 80 mile day was delayed first by rain and later by yet another flat tire. Mary got lost in Rochester. I got lost in Rochester. The map gave one route. The map detail for Rochester gave a different one. I stopped to ask directions from a sheriff. He was a stout young man with a very strong hand shake. I learned he’s been a sheriff for three years and it’s his day job. His real love is farming. He had a dairy farm with his father until three years ago. When he became a sheriff they sold the dairy cows. Now they raise belted Galloway cattle, a breed raised by Winston Churchill, that dates back to the 1600’s. They have two coats of hair which means they have less fat. They also like the grass in this area of New York. I learned quite a bit and could have learned more with more time.

While reentering the highway, I hit the brakes to wait for a semi resulting in triangular sliver of granite puncturing the new tire and tube. It was a slow leak and didn’t reveal itself until I was on the bike path beside the Eerie Canal. I was able to fix it and ride to meet Mary at a set of canal locks. That makes three flats in 5 days. Two of the tires are reusable, I just don’t trust them. One has several small nicks and the wire puncture. The cut from the granite sliver in the new one is right in the tread, and is large enough to pick up a piece of gravel repeating the same problem.

Mary’s right. This morning I continued my low mood from yesterday. Pastor Lester McClelland at the Spencerport Wesleyan Church reminded me of the verse, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9. This was very helpful. Later while biking I had an image of warrior guardian angels. This too was helpful and my mood lifted. The day went well and the gray clouds and rain also lifted.

Road kill addition: one large snapping turtle.

Biking Out of Buffalo

2008-09-08T19:56:00.003-05:00

Other than having another flat tire, it was a good 77 mile ride. I started at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, planning to take the bike path north and I promptly got lost. I just went north for 6-7 miles and then asked for directions. Turns out by then I was within a block of the bike path. I asked for directions once more to confirm that I was proceeding properly. Then I went north on Hwy 429 and west on Hwy 31. Hwy 31 is GREAT for biking. It was built with a four to eight foot shoulder designated for bikers. For biking, it’s designated as Route 5 and it has many little oval green signs with a bicycle and Route 5 on them. Every change in direction is shown with arrows. There’s quite a bit of traffic, but as I’ve said before, I’ll take a good shoulder on a busy rode over no shoulder on a lightly traveled rode.

This part of the route parallels the Eerie Canal, which I’ve never seen before. Obviously it’s quite flat. I had a nice tail wind all day. Unfortunately, about 7 miles out of camp, I had a flat tire. I replaced the tube and the second tube was defective. So I called Mary. I could have replaced the tube again and rode in, but by then I was too deflated and I couldn’t talk myself into it, so Mary drove me back to the camper. Tomorrow she will need to drive me back to the starting point. The culprit was a piece of wire that had embedded itself in the tire and worked its way through to the tube. I had just ridden 2 very rough miles where the asphalt had been ground down to cement in preparation of repaving. I think the extra bumping hastened the tube puncturing, but it would have happened eventually. There were quite a few nicks in the tire, so I replaced it too.

Mary’s friend Rosa wrote on her blog that she’s praying we finish strong. She’s right. There are twelve biking days left, six out east, five into Pella and one from Pella to Des Moines that I'll complete on some Saturday. I’m starting to think about our home and I’m very often thinking about work and church. I have responsibilities that are waiting for me. In fact some have been postponed. I’m eager to return to them. So today I prayed for perseverance. TodayI was delayed by a flat tire. Tomorrow there’s an eighty percent chance I’ll be delayed by thunder storms. I need to bike another 4-5 more good days and the Atlantic will be in sight. Then my friend Ron Z plans to bike the final Milwaukee to Pella section which will be very good.

Granite must be readily available here, probably from New Hampshire? Many towns have granite instead of cement curbs.

Back in the USSA

2008-09-07T18:13:00.001-05:00

To paraphrase the Beatles, its back in the USSA today.

It was a very nice 50 mile ride this morning on a day cut short by rain. The first 25 miles followed the Lake Eerie shoreline, which provided two lovely and one interesting picture. The second 25 miles to the Peace Bridge was on a bike trail. Mary and I decided before leaving Canada we really should stop at a Tim Horton’s coffee shop. It was good, but not as good as Smokey Row in Pella.

It started to rain just as we arrived at the Peace Bridge. Originally, I had wanted to bike another 25 miles, but a quick check of the radar told us it was going to rain most of the afternoon. We couldn’t find a place to camp, so we’re in a motel for the night.

According to Google, it will be about 474 miles from Buffalo, NY to Salem, MA. Add the 355 miles from Milwaukee to Pella and I’ve got about 830 miles left. This will be about 12 days.

Work Day

2008-09-07T15:54:00.000-05:00

After two days full of interest, today was an 85 mile work day. I simply biked from Port Burwell to Dunnville. There were no exceptional events. I had no observations that are worth reporting. I practiced staying in the moment to forestall wondering how much further to the camper. It was just a work day, which was quite satisfying.

Overnight Gustav dropped large amounts of rain in the area, leaving puddles along the entire route. It was still drizzling in the morning which delayed my start from 7:00 a.m. to around 8:30 a.m. Even then it was grey and drizzly until early afternoon. Over time, I was wet with perspiration inside my rain jacket and got a little chilled, so I stopped in Simco for warm McDonald’s junk food instead of my usual bagel sandwich and apple. I stood eating out by the street to catch Mary. Although I was successful, I think it would have been easier to spend a little on roaming charges and have called her instead. After warming up in the van, I set out to complete the ride. The drizzle stopped shortly thereafter and I comfortably completed the last 40 miles.

Tomorrow we arrive at the Peace Bridge on the Niagara River and cross into Buffalo, New York. Just when I’ve learned to say “Aye” and “Oot”, “We’re oot of here, aye?”

Biking in Gustav

2008-09-07T15:50:00.003-05:00

I think I was misinformed in North Branch. The rain two nights ago was just a shower. Today, all day, for 107 miles, I truly did bike in the remnants of Hurricane Gustav. There was no rain, but there was lots of wind. It blew all day with gusts up to 40 mph. It started sometime after midnight and it’s still blowing this evening. Tonight we’re at an Ontario Provincial Campground right beside Port Burwell and Lake Eerie. The wind is strong enough the sea gulls have grounded themselves on the beach. Lake Eerie is a giant frothing latte. The day too was eerie.
Gustav rarely blew directly at me, or the mileage would have been much shorter. Most of the time the wind continuously and gustily pushed me from the right, but for one 29 mile stretch from Morpeth to Wallacetown it was directly behind me. What fun. With little effort I could sustain 25 – 27 mph. The last time I had a ride like this was on a tandem in 1998 on the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) with my son Jeff.

After no dog action for five and a half states, I’ve now encountered dogs three days in a row. Today it was a pair of guard Rottweiler’s beside a country acreage. I had pulled past and stopped to take a drink and read my map. I heard something and looked back to the right. There they were on the edge of the property, perfectly matched and beautiful, wearing identical stainless steel choker chains and eager ominous expressions, waiting for me to make the wrong move. I quietly and quickly put my items away and safely left. That’s enough dogs for now.

I saw a large weeping willow that reminded me of Old Man Willow from the Lord of the Rings.

Currants are sold at the local fruit stands.

Among other crops, this is tobacco country. It’s presently being harvested and is curing in aptly named smoked barns which you can smell for a mile or so.

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let’s rejoice and be glad in it.

Into Canada

2008-09-07T15:33:00.003-05:00

While the 84 miles of terrain continue to be flat, it was an interesting day ending in Wallaceburg, Ontario. Several times clouds gathered, threatening rain and then dispersed. I think they were getting organized and weren’t yet ready to perform. The clouds are gathering again, but we’ve safely arrived at our evening’s destination, the camper is up and we’re ready for a reasonable rain. During last night’s rain I discovered there’s a pinhole puncture in the canvas over my bed which caused a slow drip on my chest. This will need to be patched.

For just the second time, I was chased by a dog with the first time being yesterday. Yesterday’s dog was a territorial terrier with an attitude. Looking neither right nor left, he crossed a busy road to tell me to move on. I don’t know how many times this will work for him but on this occasion he seemed pleased with himself. Today’s dog was a big, galumphing black lab with a big smile. He stayed on the property on his side of the road and struck up a conversation. It seemed as though he asked quite a few questions, got to the end of the property and bid farewell.

I punctured and blew my rear tire about 25 miles into the ride. I don’t know what I hit, but it had an immediate effect ripping through the Kevlar in the tread and sidewall. Clunk. Bang. Pish. Bumpa, bumpa. Mary was just leaving North Branch and met me in Yale, where I replaced the tire.

We crossed into Canada at Marine City on a small ferry. It was our minivan and camper, a car and a motorcycle, all on the port side of the ferry, which was also listing gently to port. However, they also carry semis that aren’t balanced, so the listing must be within the ferry’s tolerance level. The semi in the picture is being carried by the same ferry. The Canadian customs officer was professional with a hint of boredom. The Adventure Cycling map sends many people across the border here. Also, 100 or so Sea to Sea CRC cyclists crossed here a couple weeks ago.

Originally we had planned to stay at Port Lambton, but our lodging fell through. While checking options last night, I noticed a Christian Reformed Church in Wallaceburg, just 9 miles further. I called and got an answering machine. I looked for a pastor’s name but couldn’t find one. However, Google said there’s a Christian school in Wallaceburg. The secretary said the principal is a church elder. He said of course, so here we are. Thank you Wallaceburg CRC!

I’m looking for signs of the theme for what Mary and I are calling RSBT Part III. Part I’s theme was enjoying the beauty. Part II was staying in the moment.. I have an idea on what might be the part three theme, but it’s too soon to say.

Road kill addition: wood chuck.

Observations and Conversations

2008-09-03T19:38:00.001-05:00

Today was a flat 87 mile ride from Carson City to North Branch. The seasons are slowly changing. The soy bean fields are half yellow. Some of the sumac is red. Some of the early or distressed maple trees are turning. The morning was in farm country. Now it’s mixed farms and lakes.

Signs pondered:
Reduced House for Sale.
Four Seasons Lounge: Liquor: Family Dining: Steaks – Fish – Walleye.

Mary met me for the late morning break at Montrose in grocery store parking lot. We met Gus, a bread/pastries delivery man. He asked what we were doing and struck up a conversation. He’s an Israeli, Catholic immigrant. We commiserated about mini-van problems. He offered us hot dog buns and a place to camp. Unfortunately, his home is off the route.

Tonight we met Reverend Michael and a retired parishioner, Lorraine from the North Branch United Methodist Church. We discussed church politics, polity and theology and many other topics including a hand blanket ministry for people with Alzheimer’s. We also admired a hand made deer antler purse. Reverend Michael and Lorraine are actively involved in a challenging ministry.

Now we’re in our camper in our first down pour of the entire trip. Someone said it’s due to the remnants of Gustav. I hope it clears by tomorrow. If not, I’ll bike in the rain.

Grand Rapids and Beyond

2008-09-02T18:55:00.000-05:00

My typical morning ride was delayed by a delightful Pine Rest reception held at the Postma Conference Center. Included with the continental breakfast and delightful conversations was a roast by my friends and fellow clinic managers Randy J and Scott H. Thanks guys. There was a running slide show from the trip so far. I found myself telling stories associated with the pictures. Along with the blog, they will provide enduring memories.

After the reception, my brother-in-law Don V again rode with me on this 65 mile day. It was hot, sunny and flat. There were many vehicles and a mixture of road qualities. According to the Michigan DOT, all state highways have a minimum 4 foot paved shoulder. This is true, except where they’re falling off. If you’re a biker, do not ride the 15 miles on M21 from Lowell to Ionia, Michigan. Often you have a two foot shoulder, except when you don’t. I’m so thankful Don was with me as, just like yesterday, the cars were more considerate of two bicycles than they are of one.

We met our wives for dinner and then proceeded north on M66 and west on M57 to Carson City. (All these specifics are for a few family members who want more route details.) The terrain was flat farming country. As compared to the west, there are now w many structures dating from the mid 1800’s. Tonight we’re camping at the Carson City United Methodist Church. They have been wonderful hosts and we appreciate their hospitality.

Tomorrow the goal is to bike through the northern edge of Flint to North Branch, Michigan. There we will reconnect with an Adventure Cycling route that will take us through Ontario to Buffalo, New York. The states are smaller here. In these final 1,400 or so miles we will cross portions of five states and one province. In the last 1,000 miles we crossed two and a half states. I like this better. It gives the illusion of rapid progress, while I continue to travel at the same speed.

Musketawa Trail

2008-09-01T19:30:00.004-05:00

Greetings from Grand Rapids. The third portion of the ride started today with a 53 mile ride from the Muskegon Lake Ferry landing to a motel near the Pine Rest Campus in Cutlerville, Michigan. I was joined for the day by my brother-in-law Don V. He will also be joining me tomorrow. Having company was a nice change of pace. We shared stories, observations and humor. I noticed again that cars are more considerate of two bicycles than of one. They slowed behind us, pulled further to the left and didn’t cut us off while pulling back into the lane.

The Musketawa trail is a converted paved railroad track. This too was a nice change of pace, but I wouldn’t want to ride it continuously. It’s too flat. We had planned to bike down the west side of Grand Rapids, but we missed our street. Instead we biked downtown taking Division Street South to Cutlerville. On the way we stopped for very good Mexican food at a popular restaurant on the corner of Division and 28th St. I f you ever bike there, the manager will lock your bikes in the storage room. We spent the rest of the afternoon with my daughter and her husband. In addition to a nice meal, we went shopping to restock our small food supplies. Stopping at a grocery store and three gas stations failed to locate a source for block versus cube ice.

While on the bike trail, I ran over a chipmunk. Before I could react, it ran in front of me and I hit it with both tires. We stopped to offer assistance but somehow it got off the trail and out of sight. I’m concerned it might have a broken collarbone, ribs and possibly a hemothorax. I hope it’s not combative with the chipmunk EMT’s. At any rate, its dream of completing the Musketawa Trail has ended for now.

Tomorrow morning there is a reception at Pine Rest. Then Don and I will bike 62 miles to Carson City.

Finally, the wedding for Mary's sister was enjoyable and a true ceremony. Mary has the details

Rest Days

2008-08-28T18:18:00.004-05:00

What a wonderful time for recovery. First we spent 1 ½ days in Des Moines. Now we’re completing two days at home in Pella. In Des Moines we were looked after, cared for, even pampered by Larry and Linda S. We had a wonderful visit, great meals and stimulating conversation. What more could you ask for? Well there was more. I had time to visit the Des Moines Pine Rest staff, one of the two best mental staff in Iowa and attend the clinical staff meeting. That too was very affirming and rewarding. Finally, I stopped art Bike World and had my seat post replaced. Wouldn’t you know it, a second bike computer died, fortunately just that the morning and I had it too replaced, again.

Wednesday, it was raining. I waited about two hours, gave in and drove to Pella. I didn’t want to ride in the rain primarily due to safety. To add in the miles, one option will be to decide that one of my mid tour training rides covers this leg of the trip. Another will be to complete it when the rest is done. Larry and Linda have invited us back for pasta in October. A fall Saturday bike ride from Pella to Des Moines may be wonderful.

It has been restful but active at home in Pella. A nap yesterday followed by nine hours of sleep felt great. Today I had a wonderful visit with the other greatest mental health staff in Iowa. The laundry is washed. Wedding clothes are packed. The van is washed, gassed, vacuumed and a turning signal is repaired. I have Marty’s rear wheel on my bike and it feels great. The cats have adjusted to our return.

Tomorrow we leave, first for a wedding and then to complete about 1,300 miles of the ride. I’m ready and eager to begin. What will be the theme of this third leg? The first was enjoy the beauty. The second was stay in the moment. I have no idea what theme will be next.

Blessings to all of you.

Cal

Des Moines

2008-08-25T16:14:00.002-05:00

How nice to bike just 51 miles. I arrived at our friends Larry & Linda S by late morning. It’s a beautiful afternoon with low humidity and temperatures in the high 70’s. We’ve had coffee and lunch and I’ve had a shower. Now we’re sitting on the deck while Mary plays her recorder accompanied by an irregular percussion of falling acorns.

Other than starting from Waukee, I hadn’t decided how to enter Des Moines. Arriving in Waukee I noticed some bicyclists to the left on what appeared to be a bike path, so I joined them and asked. It was a bike path that first paralleled the street, but soon joined Walnut Creek and meandered along into the city and within 5 blocks of my destination. What a treat to be under trees with no traffic. It was a fitting beginning to a restful afternoon followed by a rest day tomorrow.

Iowa Pictures

2008-08-25T14:06:00.008-05:00

Into Iowa

2008-08-24T18:08:00.001-05:00

We’re from Iowa. Iowa.
State of all the land.
Joy on every hand.
We’re from Iowa. Iowa.
That’s where the tall corn grows.

I was tired today. Yesterday I celebrated arriving at the edge Iowa. Today was a 94 mile ride mostly on Hwy 44 an Iowa Scenic Byway. I was looking forward to it, but my body disagreed. My brain said “Isn’t this lovely!” My body said “I don’t care. I’m stiff and sore and I want a rest day. Now!” My brain tried using reason, “It’s just 54 miles tomorrow with fewer hills. You can rest all afternoon and the next day.” My body said, “No. Now!” Eventually my brain convinced my body to do the best it could. My poor body gave all it had, but without a rest it doesn’t have much left.

Tonight we’re staying on the edge of Guthrie Center at the Guthrie County Fair grounds. The fair starts tomorrow. For the second time on the trip, we didn’t have lodging prearranged. We couldn’t find a church. Someone said the city park has camping. Mary asked there and was sent out to the fair grounds. There are many young farm families in campers. It’s clearly a community celebration. Everyone is having a good time.

Schedule: Monday, arrive in Des Moines. Tuesday rest day. Wednesday bike to Pella. Thursday rest and home chore day. Friday drive to Kalamazoo. Saturday Mary’s sister’s wedding. Sunday church. Monday bike from Muskegon to Grand Rapids. Tuesday Pine Rest reception from 8-10 and then on to Salem, MA.

Road kill additions: fox and box turtle.

Goodbye Nebraska

2008-08-23T18:52:00.005-05:00

I didn’t know east central Nebraska had hills, BIG hills. Today I used every gear on my bike. Even so, the 81 miles of fairly hard climbing had an enjoyable rhythm. Spin up a hill, push and coast down the other side. Then do it again. And again. And again. This was the pattern of the day exceptf or thirteen miles in the middle of the ride.

Today was fun because I’ve regained my strength. Today was fun because I could appreciate the climb. Today was fun because I could savor the rolling beauty of the farmland. And today was fun because tomorrow I bike into Iowa!

During RSBT One, I was apprehensive about Wyoming and Nebraska. I knew I was strong enough, but these are lovely, large, barren states with the potential for exhausting heat and headwinds. Now with RSBT Two, I had the added worries of sufficient healing, manageable pain, and regained strength. Arriving in Blair has been a huge relief and feeling of accomplishment. I’ve biked about 800 miles in 9 days, averaging just below 89 miles a day. I’ve worked to block out worries and stay in the moment. Accomplishing that has been a blessing in itself. However, having also successfully knocked off these two states feels GREAT! HALEJULIAH!

Just a Good Day

2008-08-22T17:08:00.001-05:00

Not every experience or every day can be a mountain top event. Today was just a very satisfying 97 mile good day. The biking was tricky for the second half of the day as the road is narrow and there are no shoulders. In fact in many places it drops off into washouts. It’s also hilly with quick short hills and poor sight lines for drivers. For biking this meant shifting into the big chain ring going down hills and into the little chain ring for the other side. There was quite a bit of truck traffic today; grain trucks, feed trucks, fuel trucks, stock trucks and trucks hauling metal to the Lindsay center pivot irrigation plant in Lindsay. This meant I spent most of the time concentrating on riding the white line while not drifting into the traffic lane and not dropping off the edge of the road. Overall it worked out. I did my part and the drivers did theirs.

We left the sand hills completely at Albion. The fields are now all corn and beans, mostly irrigated. We passed many cattle feed lots. The population density is increasing.

I could definitely notice the flat spot on my rear wheel. I’m going to accept Marty’s offer of a loaner wheel. The new bike seat worked great. I’ll replace my cracked carbon fiber seat post in Des Moines next Wednesday.

Tonight we’re staying at the city park in the little community of Humphrey. For fifteen dollars we receive water, electricity, rest rooms…and a shower! I’ve already had mine. The water pressure wasn’t very good, but the water was hot. It was definitely better than using a hose on a spigot.

Sunflowers

2008-08-22T15:40:00.002-05:00

This is western Nebraska, the same day as Carhenge. For some reason Blogspot wouldn't let me add it to that post, so I'm giving it a separate post.

Halfway!

2008-08-21T17:19:00.003-05:00

I just took a moment to add up the miles. My first bike computer died, so it takes a little work to get the total miles. Anyway, today we're at 1,987 miles. I figure halfway is 1900 miles, so we achieved the milestone yesterday.

Staying in the Moment

2008-08-21T17:11:00.001-05:00

As predicted, the winds today were 15-25 mph from the SSE. This meant I faced them directly for 16-20 miles on an 89 mile day that again went well. If I’m not careful, I can let myself become frustrated with circumstances like this. I need to remind myself that the wind, similar to rainfall, blows on the just and unjust alike. It does no good to curse the wind. Instead, I practice being in the moment, accepting the circumstances I have been given. Rather than focus on the idea of the wind stopping or the ride being done, I work at accepting, even appreciating the situation I’m in. I’m very thankful that I’m close to my pre-accident strength, if I’m not already there. So I spend my time thanking God for the renewed strength and the privilege of using it in the wind. I allow myself to be aware of the pleasure of experiencing the forward movement of the bike. I spend time in communion with the nature around me, with the wind and in prayers of thanksgiving for the gift of this wonderful experience. I spend time thinking about and offering prayers of blessing for people I know. And I always, always strive to keep fully aware of the road ahead of me and the traffic beside me.

We moved out of the sand hills today. This is still sandy country, but we’re clearly moving into the Midwest. I saw a lovely restored country school house. I don’t recall seeing any out west. Perhaps this is due to the less dense population and greater distances. Also the humidity is higher here. In part this means it doesn’t cool down as much at night. And I saw my first large ragweed and wild hemp, what we used to call ditch weed.

The flat spot on my rear wheel is barely noticeable. I switched bike seats tonight. The old one had a plastic cover which doesn’t breathe. The rain from the first day caused chaffing from which I still haven’t recovered. I hope the new leather covered seat helps. I already have a side benefit from the replacement process. I noticed a hair line fracture in my carbon seat post, so I called Marty my bike mechanic. The seat post will be replaced in either Des Moines or Pella.

In about two days we’ll be in Iowa.

Side Trip

2008-08-20T21:11:00.002-05:00

To avoid the worst of the wind, I was up at 5 a.m. and on the road by 6 a.m. This was partially successful as later the wind was gusting 20 – 30 mph. Even so, it was a very enjoyable ride into the east. The wind was inscrutable and capricious. Sometimes it pushed from the southwest. Sometimes it challenged from the southeast. Mostly it harassed me from the south. Even so, I was able to complete a 65 mile ride and my bike computer had the same mileage as the map.

Today’s original goal was 80 miles to a campground in the Nebraska National Forest. Yes forest. I didn’t make it due to continued problems with my rear wheel that was becoming increasingly wobbly, so I stopped in Thedford around 10:30 (CST, the time change occurred this morning) and started calling bike shops. Wayne’s Cyclery in Grand Island said they could repair it today, so off we went on a 150 mile side trip. While waiting we went to the Blue Moon Coffee house for Americano coffee and dessert.

I now have three new spoke nipples and the rear wheel has been trued. There’s one more problem. The wheel is no longer round. When I hit something it not only broke the spoke nipple, it created a very minor flat spot on the rim. It’s not serious but fixing it will require a new rim and a rebuilt wheel. I think I know when and what I hit. It was a pothole in Wyoming on the last morning out of the state. I didn’t see it due to the fog. If the ride is too bumpy, when I reach Pella I’ll change the wheel for the one Marty offered me from his rode bike.

Tonight we’re camping for free in the Thedford Municipal Park. We have water, but not bathrooms and no electricity. You get what you pay for. Once again we will be serenaded by coal trains.

The forecast tomorrow is for calmer winds; only 15-25 mph.

Spokes & Wind

2008-08-20T15:41:00.007-05:00

This post is for August 19. There was no internet or cell phone coverage yesterday.

I left at sunrise this morning for two reasons. I wanted to see Carhenge in the early light and I wanted to have as many miles in as possible before the wind became strong. Oh well. The ten miles biking straight east went very well. By the time I turned south the wind was increasing and for some reason the peddling was an effort. This continued for 15 miles to Carhenge, which is interesting if you just view to central sculpture. Unfortunately the site is cluttered with other car based art which in my opinion distracts from the sight.

While there, I discovered the second cause for the slow biking which was loose spokes on my rear wheel. This is a major problem to have in western Nebraska. Alliance, Nebraska is two miles from Carhenge so I biked in. I stopped at a gas station convenience store and asked the men drinking coffee if there was a bike shop in town. Nope they said. One man said he takes his bike to Scott’s Bluff which is 60 miles to the west. Then another man suggested Bernie’s Supply, took out his cell phone and called. Arrangements were made and I was sent to ask for Dennis G. The sign says “Bernie’s Supply since 1881. If we don’t have it you don’t need it.” Dennis began tightening my spokes when he discovered a broken spoke nipple, which he installed. Then he trued the wheel and wouldn’t charge me. Thanks Dennis.

Dennis said he’s helped other transcontinental bicyclists over the years. One young man needed a bike part from Scott’s Bluff, so he sent him along with his wife, who was already going there. Then the man asked if he knew anyone for whom he could work so he sent him to a friend whose house needed painting. The young man stayed for two months. A couple years ago a man and his son from Amsterdam were looking for a place to pitch their tent. Alliance has a 10p.m. curfew so Dennis put them in his back yard where they stayed for two days. They repaid the favor last year by showing them around Amsterdam when Dennis and his wife were on a European vacation.

After the repair I still had 60 miles to go. By then the wind was strong from the south. Fortunately it wasn’t from the east and the sand hills are rolling. Most of the distance had a wide shoulder. Part of it was very bumpy but there was a 10 mile stretch that was smooth and contained quite a few grasshoppers. The little ones were quick, but the big ones were slow to react, possibly because they were hunkered down against the wind. They were very good for steering practice. Crunch, crunch.

Unfortunately, I discovered the new spoke nipple was the wrong size and the spoke worked loose again. I called Marty my bike mechanic in Pella. He said as long as the wheel is reasonably true, which it is thanks to Dennis, I could keep going and should be able to make it to Des Moines where there’s a good bike shop. I’ll keep you informed.

My bike computer said 89 miles today while the maps said 84. I’m beginning to think the computer’s not accurately calibrated and gives me a couple extra miles a day. This is flattering but not helpful. I’ll monitor it closely tomorrow and then decide whether to recalibrate it. The current setting is standard for a 700 x 25c tire, but that may need to be adjusted.

Into Nebraska

2008-08-18T20:25:00.001-05:00

Wyoming did not let go easily. There were 22 miles of moderately dense fog. The road had a narrow and very rough shoulder. I was passed by one semi and he at me. I have an LED flasher on the back of my bike and I was to the right of the white line. I think he just wanted to show his disapproval. Many more trucks passed me later in the day and they all gave me a wide berth, which I appreciate.

When I entered Nebraska, the road side widened, the fog lifted and I was serenaded by coyotes. Plus I was able to get this picture of a spider web. The terrain has changed. We’ve moved from the west to the central plains. The sage brush is gone. In this area there is more tillable land. The crops include wheat, irrigated corn and sugar beets, sunflowers, and alfalfa, some irrigated and some not. There’s also quite a bit of land resting in summer fallow.

I was hit by two whirlwinds today. The first caught me by surprise. I wasn’t near summer fallow, where the heat usually causes the whirlwinds. My first tipoff was the two tumbleweeds twirling above my head. I was coasting down a hill at a reasonable pace. I was surprised by the force of the wind which was much stronger than a truck passing too closely. It strongly jerked my handlebars on which I had a good grip. I think it was trying to take my bike away, but I wouldn’t let go. I do learn from these incidents so I was prepared for the second whirlwind which signaled itself by the 10 -20 tumble weeds it carried. Neither whirlwind carried dust. Mary observed and I agree that these may best be called devil winds.

We took our lunch break at Fort Robinson where Crazy Horse was killed. Tonight we’re camped at the Methodist Church in Hemingford. Mary has written about both of these, so read her blog.

Today’s mileage: 98 miles.

Road kill addition: badger.

Interstate Bicycling

2008-08-17T18:34:00.007-05:00

For the first time ever I biked on the interstate. We're now on Hwy 20, which for 36 miles joins Interstate 25. Biking on the interstate is legal in Wyoming, but not encouraged. In fact today I passed a police officer giving a trucker a ticket. Later he drove past me with no acknowledgement. Phew. Because of the wide shoulders, the biking felt safer than many other roads, just noisier.

I miscalculated today's mileage which I thought would be about 104 miles. Instead it was 111 miles. This is the longest distance I've ever biked in a day. I don't look at my bike computer while on the ride. I twist it under the handle bars. Otherwise, instead of enjoying the journey, I become preoccupied with things like trip distance and average speed. When I pulled beside the camper and did finally check the computer, I was very surprised. My three day total is now just shy of 300 miles.

I'm also happy to report that I have no pain from my broken bones. While on the bike there is no discomfort. Off the bike there's occasional stiffness and soreness, but I can't call it pain. My bicycling pains are much stronger. I forgot to use chamois butter the last two days. One hundred eleven miles doesn't help.

Road kill additions; rattlesnake and antelope.

Challening Day

2008-08-16T17:43:00.005-05:00

Today the ride was from Shoshoni to Casper, 101 miles according to my bike computer. There are no towns that can really be described as towns between Shoshoni and Casper on highway 26. Yes if you look on a map you see town names, but I think these are more of a wish than a reality. My first sag stop was Moneta, 40 miles out. Everything was out of business. Fortunately, Mary was there with food. My last sag stop was Waltman, which consisted of a trailer house, an old half painted house with sheets over the windows and a post office drop box. This gave us two choices, either I bike 101 miles or I bike less, Mary picks me up and drops me off at the same spot tomorrow. Unfortunately, tomorrow presents a variation of the same problem. Either I cut it short at 50 miles or again bike 100. The same is true the following day. I attempted and succeded the 101 miles today. I'm going to try for the 100 miles tommorrow, which should go better. Then we'll see what happens in the future.

However, today was challenging both physically and psychologically. Physically, I want to be as strong as I was prior to the accident and I'm not there yet. So the pace was a little slower and on the last 50, I had to take a break every 10 miles or less. I had adrenaline and excitment yesterday. Today I wasn't as stong. Psychologically, I just want to be out of Wyoming. I was here too long the last time and now I want to move ahead. The Nebraska sand hills won't be that much different, but I grew up in Kansas and it will be more familiar. Plus, we drove the route coming out here and there's a little more to see, like small farms and small communities that still exist versus those in Wyoming that are just a name on a map. The terrain today wasn't challenging except for a little head wind. It was cloudy and cool. The problem was the huge vistas. I'd climb the crest of a hill hoping for something new and instead there would be another 4 to 6 or more mile view with the road going through it and off to the east.

I do know I could have shortened the day. I have to admit part riding the full 101 miles was a personal recovery test. Every biking part of me is sore, butI passed the test and I'm glad it's done.

One final thought on mountains. Driving west from Shoshoni to Dubois, I was disappointed to see the Rocky Mountains. It reminded me that I've only completed 1/3 of the ride. However, I decided they made a clearly marked stopping and starting point, versus wiping out in the middle of Michigan or even Iowa. Then there would be no clear change in the vistas. It wouldn't be the same and the story wouldn't be as interesting.

Also today I had a nice telephone conversation with Officer B from Dubois. He was the policeman on the scene of the accident and filled in a few gaps in my memory. He told me how glad he was that I was wearing a helmet and he really appreciated the update on my recovery and the ride. It was good to talk to him.

Singing in the Rain

2008-08-15T20:11:00.005-05:00

I'm singing in the rain.

What a glorious feeling, I’m biking again.

I’m singing and biking in the rain.

At the start of the day I was worried. Not only was I resuming the ride at the site of the accident (since it happened on July 4, you could say I went out with a bang), but it rained off and on all day, plus I needed to bike 86 miles to make it to the next town for camping. And although my strengthening rides went well, my longest was 60 miles. I started just west of the accident at the Smokey Bear fire risk sign. Then I biked through the area of the accident to see if I could remember any more details. I didn’t. The paved shoulder is wide and clear, with no obstacles. See for yourself.

The ride went very, very well. I think the weather was actually a gift from God. It was cool and there was very little wind. The rain was gentle and intermittent. It could have been hot with headwinds and a sun blasted and white washed terrain. Instead, the terrain was misted with dark sky enhanced beauty. Once I adjusted to riding again and the conditions, my worry lifted. It was a fun day. I had an image of angels beside my like dolphins on a bow wave.

Starting over feels a like a time warp. It’s not high summer. The season is leaning toward fall. Instead of snow melting, last night’s rain added snow to the mountains. The red wing black birds aren’t defending their territory and don’t care what I do. The black birds are beginning flock. The milk weed seed pods have formed. The wheat has been harvested. I hadn’t planned to see these changes, but they’re appropriate, even inevitable and what better choice is there but to enjoy them?

Songs to sing in the rain: Singing in the Rain. Blessed be Your Name. Pressing On. Hymns, at least the phrases and sometimes verses I remember.

Is This Heaven?

2008-08-13T15:20:00.009-05:00

No, it's Iowa! Yesterday I took my last restrengthening ride. It was 26 miles on the Red Rock Dam trail. It links directly to Pella, so in essence I join it right out of my driveway. Here's a few pictures.

Dates and Duties

2008-08-10T09:43:00.002-05:00

Choosing the original June 15 to August 15 dates for the ride was somewhat arbitrary. However, once the dates were set, other events got scheduled around them. One of them is jury duty. In June I received a summons for July jury duty. I returned the exemption form saying I would be on a bike ride and I included my brochure. My jury duty was delayed to October, not cancelled and I didn’t receive a donation for the Patient Assistance Fund.

But now that I’m resuming the ride, there is one event I don’t want to miss and which can’t be rescheduled. This is Mary’s sister’s wedding on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, August 30 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. My original plan was to bike from Wyoming to Pella, take a break for the wedding, traveling to and from Kalamazoo and resuming in Pella.

Mary had a better idea. Now the plan is to bike from Wyoming to Pella then drive to Kalamazoo for the wedding. From there we’ll complete the eastern end of the ride, from Muskegon, Michigan to Salem, Massachusetts. Then we’ll return to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and bike back completing the ride in Pella. This saves at least 900 miles of driving, two days of traveling and the ferry expense from Milwaukee to Muskegon.

The original schedule has already changed. The sequence for completing the ride doesn’t really matter. Ultimately I want to be able to say I completed a transcontinental bike ride and this will still be true.

Now I just need to be back by October for my civic duty.

Almost Time to Go

2008-08-08T22:32:00.004-05:00

Many people have told me they are praying for me. I can tell. The angels are so thick around me I have to swat them away so that I can see the road.

It’s almost time to leave…again. It’s a strange feeling. It seems existential. I feel suspended between two worlds. While in Pella, the life and work here seems more real. While on the road the road seems more real. Also my perspective on what constitutes reality seems to have changed so neither location seems grounded like it used to be. It’s all a little disconcerting but in a good way.

The desire to ride again came rapidly. I’ve been blessed with a swift recovery and little pain. But making the decision to ride has not been so easy. The question I’ve been pondering is whose will is it that I’m resuming the ride? I know without a doubt that I want to, but am I supposed to? I think so. It seems I’ve been given an equal choice. Both options are legitimate with equal blessings and challenges. It seems as though the decision has been given to me to make. So I’ve made the choice I want to make. Sometimes it seems selfish, but I don’t think that can be true if the choices are equal. The ride is a relatively short term activity and longer term I’ll be returning to my work. Some people have applauded my perseverance or what my daughter has called my stubbornness. I don’t know what it is but I hope this about something more. I hope in some way this is about following where I’m lead and about faithfulness.

So for now I’ll just thank the Lord for the opportunity and continue to be open for guidance. If I complete the ride, I’ll say “Praise the Lord.” If I don’t complete the ride I’ll still say “Praise the Lord.”

The joy is in the journey.

On the Bike Again II

2008-08-03T22:15:00.001-05:00

This was a successful first training weekend. As I’ve already written, I had a very nice 17 mile training ride on Friday. Saturday I road the Red Rock Dam trail, a 26 mile round trip. The ride went very well, but was a study in contrasts. I was weak, but I recovered rapidly. I needed to climb a few hills in my easiest gear, but I felt fine immediately afterward. I concluded that having already biked 2,800 miles this year does have its conditioning benefits.

I had manageable discomfort in my shoulder.

Today is very hot and humid. I believe the temperature was 94 degrees with a 110 degree heat index. I was a little stiff and sore from the last two days training rides and I didn’t want to stress my healing bones with a ride in these conditions, so I rode my resistance trainer for an hour. I rode 56 miles for the weekend. It’s a good start to regaining my strength and endurance.

My next concern is sleep. I’m trying to shift from sleeping in a recliner to sleeping in the bed. This isn’t going well. I can’t yet sleep on my right side, much less on my left side. Even on resting on my right side pulls on the distressed bones. That leaves sleeping on my back. I’m hoping an extra sleeping bag for padding, a wedge pillow to raise my head and ibuprofen will improve the problem. I also still have 11 days to heal. As it is, every day now I have less pain, more mobility and more strength.

I’ve also made a safety decision, which is to not do anything differently. While biking this weekend, I tried to be more careful and conscious of risky situations. I learned this really isn’t possible. I observed that I regularly do a good job monitoring for potential problems. Therefore I’ve decided that I need to be as careful as I’ve always been and let go of what I can’t control.

On the Bike Again

2008-08-01T19:01:00.001-05:00

I already know I don’t have any stabbing pains that will immediately cancel the ride. Now I’m supposed to wait another week or so and let the bones knit before I ride too much. Oh well, it was a good thought. Today I was going to go for a 6-8 mile ride but instead I went for 17 miles. It was a good ride. I’m still in reasonably good shape, so my muscles felt good. My breathing was open and comfortable. I did have tightness and pain in my shoulder blade by the time I got home. It was gone within a few minutes. I hope my shoulder doesn’t stiffen too much over night. If all goes well, I’ll probably ride the Red Rock trail tomorrow, a 26 mile round trip.

I Have to Try

2008-07-31T14:44:00.009-05:00

It’s now four weeks and a day since I had my accident. At exactly six weeks I’m going to try again. I have to. I know it won’t work next summer and therefore may never work again. Prior to last week, I thought the ride was over, never to be completed. Then last Wednesday morning I woke up feeling quite good. It occurred to me there is a window of opportunity to complete the ride yet this summer and early fall. I woke Mary up and told her my desire, hoping that she was still willing. Other than being overwhelmed with my sudden idea and informing her first thing in the morning, she was and is fully willing to try again. She wanted to know that my physician would approve, and I wanted my boss, Scott’s full support. Yesterday my physician gave his approval. Last week Scott new what I was thinking and was supportive, but he didn’t know I had medical approval. So even though he’s on vacation this week, yesterday I called him. I had to know what he thought. He’s fully supportive! Thanks Scott!

Physically, my bones will be barely healed. I’ll probably have some and maybe quite a bit of pain. Fortunately, my physician decided that I won’t be on a blood thinner this time. Because I’ll be exercising so much, I can manage my blood clotting disorder with just an aspirin. This means I’ll be able to take ibuprofen for pain management. According to my physician, if I can tolerate the pain at the beginning of the ride, it should lesson significantly over the first few weeks. This also means I’ll have to start with some shorter days. I’ll try a few small rides over the next two weeks and I’ll spend some time on my resistance trainer, but I can’t train very hard as my bones are still healing and I don’t want to over stress them.

In spite of the accident, other than scraping and breaking the plastic covers of my shift levers, tearing the handle bar tape and my saddle, my bike’s in great shape. Marty my bike mechanic can’t believe there wasn’t more damage to it. I picked it up yesterday and went for a four block ride. I was worried the riding position would cause a stabbing pain in one of my broken bones. Thankfully it felt very comfortable. I think this just might work!
Last Saturday we were visiting our friends Larry and Linda. Larry’s also a physician. He knew my desire and that I was waiting for final approval from my personal physician. He was very concerned, worrying that I’m not waiting long enough and that I won’t have healed enough. After greeting us at the door, while still in the foyer, the first thing he did was examine my clavicle, pressing on it, gauging how much pain I could tolerate. It really didn’t hurt and he did stop after he made it shift. Because he cares and is concerned he tried to talk me into waiting 8 weeks instead of 6. As I told Larry, I would like to, but that means I would still on the rode in mid October and by then the days are getting shorter. Yesterday he called just to tell me he changed his opinion and he too thinks I should try it according to my plan. Thanks Larry!

When I was riding previously, I would often think

“Blessed Be the Name of the Lord.” At the time it was “when the sun’s shining down on me and world’s all as it should be.” Now I’m signing “Blessed be Your name, on the road marked with suffering, when there’s pain in the offering, blessed be your name."

Going Home

2008-07-08T12:33:00.001-05:00

I was released from the Lander hospital yesterday. Last night we drove to Kimball, Nebraska and took a room at a Motel 8. After leaving the hospital, we drove back past the accident scene and there is no apparent reason for this accident. The paved road shoulder looked identical to paved road shoulder I had been biking on for hundreds of miles. As far as I can tell there's no mechanical failure with my bike that would cause the accident. I called a doctor friend and asked if I could have passed out, causing the accident. He said this was highly unlikely. The only logical explanation left is that I either hit or swerved to avoid a small creature on the road. I'll never know.

As long as I take my pain medication regularly, I feel decent. Each day is better than the last.
I don't yet know when or if I'll resume the ride. It's too soon to sort this out.

Here's the "It could have been worse" story. I had to wait before I was treated in the emergency room. Just after I arrived a one month old baby was brought in not breathing. The physicians weren't able to resuscitate the infant. I'll never forget the keening sobs of the mother.

Thanks for all of your prayers, emails and phone calls. Mary and both appreciate the support.

I Don't Remember What Happened

2008-07-06T11:07:00.002-05:00

Sometime on the morning of July 4, while riding about 10 – 12 miles southeast of Dubois, I flipped off my bike. I don’t remember it at all. I remember thinking that I was looking forward to several days of long rides on rolling hills. I was looking forward to returning to the Midwest. The next thing I remember is regaining consciousness in an ambulance. My left shoulder hurt and the back of my neck hurt due to the tape being used to stabilize my neck. I had no idea of the extent or seriousness of my injuries. I have four fractures/broken ribs on my left side just below the clavicle. My left clavicle is broken with a jagged edge. The worst is a pneumothorax. This is a small puncture of the lining of my lung by the broken clavicle. Air has seeped into the base of sack below my lung. This can cause pneumonia, but that danger is passed. I’m waiting for the doctor to make rounds today. I may be released.

I have no memory of what happened. I’ve hit rumble strips before. They’re jarring but not dangerous. Whatever happened, happened so fast that I didn’t put my hands out to catch myself. My wrists aren’t broken and there is no cutting or bruising on the palms of my hands. I hit and broke my helmet first (bruising my right ear, which is purple) and then hit with my left shoulder. I also scraped the back of my left hand and my right knee. Someone called 911. Mary visited with the Sheriff who responded. The next thing I remember is being strapped into the ambulance. Other than when I’m on morphine, I’ve been lucid ever since.

Although I have yet to see it, Mary reports the bike is fine. The two layers of handle bar tape and the seat are scraped and gouged. I’m guessing this happened after I flipped off.

What’s next? After the doctor releases me, we’re taking a couple days to get home. Will I ever complete the ride? It’s too soon to know. I successfully made it through the most challenging third. I know I can bike the rest. It takes quite a bit of work to achieve this level of fitness and to plan for the ride itself.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and words of encouragement. I wish I knew what happened, but I don’t and I probably never will.

Please pray for Cal.

2008-07-04T14:06:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone,

This is Cal's son, Jeff Meuzelaar. I have recently been informed that my dad (Cal Meuzelaar) has crashed and is in the hospital in Wyoming. He has broken a few ribs, clavicle, and messed up his shoulder. Thank the Lord he was wearing a helmet and it was not worse. He does not remember anything from the accident.

Please keep him in his prayers as this is a very difficult time for not only Cal, but also for his family. More than the injuries, I'm sure what hurts the most is the disappointment of now being unable to fulfill his lifelong dream. The ride is over and Cal and Mary will be returning to Pella as soon as Cal is release from the hospital.

Thanks,

Jeff Meuzelaar

Final Mountain Pass

2008-07-03T21:00:00.002-05:00

I am saturated with mountains. I am satiated with mountains. I don’t think I could do justice to the beauty of another mountain. Here are two pictures from the Grand Tetons.

I also don’t want to climb to another mountain pass for quite some time. Today at the end of an 85 mile day I climbed to 9,658 feet and the Togwotee Pass. Looking back from the top, the truck warning sign said “6% grade for the next 17 miles.” This wasn’t quite true. There was a valley in the middle of the climb, but it was a lot of climbing. There was a 6% grade 6 mile drop hen we drove into the Columbia River Valley. At the time I wondered if I could complete a climb like that one. I’ve been dreading this particular climb for the last several days. I let my attitude slip by pushing 110 miles from Wendover to Dillon. That was fine, but then from Dillon to Cameron instead of enjoying the moment and stopping for some ice cream, I pushed it and my legs became tired. After a rest day and climbing two passes in Yellowstone I had planned to take another short day today and tackle the Togwotee Pass tomorrow, but then I woke up this morning and told Mary it was time for a change of attitude, enjoy the moment, and make the climb. What a sense of accomplishment. Today I felt support by prayer. Thank you everyone.

Happy Birthday Mary!!!

2008-07-03T20:08:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday, July 3 to the love of my life and the person without whom I couldn't begin much less complete this bike tour.

Yellowstone

2008-07-02T17:49:00.007-05:00

Today I biked 50 miles into Yellowstone, crossing the continental divide twice at 8,261 feet and 8,391 feet. The new back tire stayed on the rim and tube held air which is always good news when descending from the divide at 30-35 mph.

We’re staying at Grant Village. The aroma of pine trees is everywhere. When we go to bed tonight I think we’ll have a very nice pine rest.

We were last here in 1995, seven years after the 1988 forest fires. In 1995 the ground still looked barren. The lodge pole pines were already growing then but you really couldn’t see them. Now almost all the burned forest is thickly covered with lodge pole pine trees from 4 to 12 feet tall. It’s amazing how the forest reseeded itself and is growing vigorously. I've attached a few pictures from Yellowstone.

In addition to the bluebird, today I saw an osprey in the Madison River. It was floating downstream with its wings spread. Every so often it would make a mighty attempt to fly, powerfully beating its’ wings against the water. Each time its’ body cleared the water, but not its’ feet. It floated past me so I quickly turned around and biked back downhill to learn the outcome of this dilemma. The osprey then changed its’ plans. It flopped around until it faced upstream then it again attempted lift off. This time it was quickly successful, pulling itself out of the water along with the trout it had been holding in its’ talons the entire time. The bird was clearly water logged. It slowly flew just above the river with water dripping from its’ wings. Then it veered over the highway, gaining altitude. Finally it turned back downstream, flying past me to some landing place where it could enjoy its hard fought catch.

Yellowstone Rest Day

2008-07-01T19:13:00.003-05:00

Today Mary and I toured Yellowstone looking at geysers, fumorals and mud pots. Many people were creating traffic jams while taking pictures of very lazy bison. I'll let Mary work her magic and publish a few of the pictures we took.

The rear bike tire has been replaced. I'm looking forward to riding again tomorrow when I cross the continental divide for the second and third time on this trip. I think I cross it twice more. Several people have asked when we will arrive in Des Moines and, Pella Iowa and in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I should have a good timeline in place by next Monday. Before I can give an answer, I need a few days of steady riding on the plains without any mountain passes, summits or the 7% grades that were neither a summit or a pass. Out of 16 days bicycling, all but three have had a challenging climb at the beginning, middle or end or some combination of all three.

West Yellowstone

2008-07-01T18:35:00.010-05:00

What a difference one day can make. Yesterday I biked 60 miles in three hours, today it was only 30, but I totalled 60. Headwinds that motorists don’t notice can make that much of a difference. The beauty of having our own schedule is that we can change it. According to the maps I could bike about 115 miles into Yellowstone or stay and camp on the edge. Mary and I decided to make it a short 60 mile day. We had some extra time so I put my bike in the van and we drove to Old Faithful. That was the easiest way to arrange the picture you see. While waiting for Old Faithful I examined my bike tires. I discovered the back tire had a three sided rectangular gash on the riding surface. I can peel it back and expose the Kevlar band that protects the inner tube. Needless to say I’ll be replacing the tire tomorrow.

We’re camping at the Baker’s Hole USFS camp ground. There are grizzly bear warnings everywhere. Mary hopes to see one. I plan to take tomorrow off and we will explore geyser’s and paint pots. Then it will be a short biking day to Grant Village in the park. I’ll climb a mountain on two of the next three days. From there we’ll be in the rolling hills of central and eastern Wyoming and on to Nebraska.

There was beautiful scenery again today. The water is Lake Hebgen on the west. The abandoned pioneer buildings are to the east of the Lake. I’ve also attached a picture of cattle. These are Black Angus cows and calves being sorted. The calves will now go to a feed lot. You could here both the cows and calves calling to each other. Both of my brothers and I have done the very same task while growing up and working in Kansas.

The pine trees are releasing their pollen. A gust of wind hits a tree and it’s like shaking yellow dust from a duster. Everything is covered with yellow. There was a small shower and the parking lot rivulets ran yellow. The attached picture isn’t rain or dust, its pollen.

Trout fishing is very popular right now. Men and women are in all the streams. I suppose the proper phrase is fisher persons. Mary and I decided to market a toy and call them Fisher Price Fishing Persons.

Blessed Be Your Name

2008-06-29T18:49:00.001-05:00

This is the song I sing the most while bicycling.

Blessed be Your name In the land that is plentiful Where Your streams of abundance flow Blessed be Your name And blessed be Your name When I'm found in the desert place Though I walk through the wilderness Blessed be your name
CHORUS: Every blessing You pour out I'll Turn back to praise And when the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name When the sun's shining down on me When the world's "all as it should be" Blessed be You name And blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering Though there's pain in the offering Blessed be Your name
CHORUS
You give and take away You give and take away My heart will choose to say Lord, blessed be Your name I will bless Your name
CHORUS
Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away You give and take away My heart will choose to say Lord, blessed be Your name

A Biking Day in Detail

2008-06-29T18:26:00.005-05:00

Today I am going to describe the details in completing an 85 mile ride from Dillon to Cameron. Although there hasn’t been an average day this day was typical. I left Dillon at 7:00 a.m. The temperature was 50 degrees. I was dressed for the rest of the day, so it took several miles to warm up. The route was gradually downhill for about 30 miles to Twin Bridge. As has been true every day, I start with energy and a little extra adrenaline. It was easy to sustain 19-20 mph the entire distance. Even at this decent speed, I was pacing myself. Also as has been true every day so far, there was no wind and very little traffic. At Twin Bridges I drained and refilled a water bottle.

From Twin Bridges, a gradual climb began for 21 miles to Alder. The morning adrenaline has worn off. The pace is now 16-17 mph. I drink another bottle of water on this stretch. Mary catches me just a little past Alder. She’s taken down the camper, gassed the van and been to the grocery store. We typically stop and I eat wherever she catches me, but I ask her to go another 6 miles to Virginia City. I know from the maps this is the beginning of the one big climb for the day. We meet in Virginia City 60 miles into the ride at 11:30. I drink and refill another water bottle and have some lunch. There are 25 miles left.

Immediately out of Virginia City I have a 3 mile 7% climb. I don’t know this until I get to the top. I just know it’s hard. I climb in my lowest gear at 5 mph. I focus on being in the moment. I focus on cadence, relaxing, breathing and breath prayers. I do not focus on the idea of the summit. I take one break, drink most of a water bottle and just look around. Then I complete the climb. At the top I shift from my smallest front chain ring to my largest and begin shifting into progressively smaller gears in the back. I hit 45 mph, the fastest speed yet. Going down a hill like this requires total concentration. I don’t stay to the far right; I stay in the right car wheel indentation. It’s too dangerous to be further over. Plus I figure most people behind me are bemused by a bicycle descending so rapidly. Here's a picture. Ennis is way down the hill in the distance.

Now I have only 11 miles from Ennis to Cameron. Again the views are exquisite with snow on the mountains to the East and well maintained pastures to the West. The road is flat. The temperature has climbed to the high 80’s. I drain both of the water bottles. It’s getting tougher. I haven’t fully recovered from the challenges of yesterday. I’m tired, numb and sore. My left hand pinky and ring finger are numb and tingling and shifting hand positions isn’t helping anymore. My bottom is sore. I can’t sustain my position of or cadence. I coast and stand on the pedals every half mile or so. Ahead I see a line of trees along a stream. I know this must be the tiny town of Cameron with 38 residents, but it doesn’t seem to be getting closer. This is were I remind myself of the songs Pressing On and especially Blessed by Your Name.

I finally arrive. Mary has the camper set up. It’s a great little campground behind the Cameron General (think only) store. I sit down and tank up on water. It’s only 2:00. The rest of the day will be spent eating, reading, meditating and just hanging out. When I go to bed I’ll be exhausted, but eager to do it again tomorrow.

Tomorrow we enter Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park!

One Thousand Miles

2008-06-28T22:01:00.006-05:00

My total miles through today are 1,028. This is very satisfying. I achieved today’s 110 miles the old fashioned way, I earned them. We had planned a shorter day, but I met James again on the road. His goal was to push through to Dillon. This entailed a mountain pass and two 1,200 feet climbs. I decided to do the same. It was hot. Half the day there was a headwind. There was a 48 mile stretch with no services. Most of the time I couldn’t stop because of the attack mosquitoes. For the first time I can tell you today was hard work and I’m tired.

The terrain did change through the first part of the day, changing from the high mountains to broad plains. The end of the day was cattle country. I had to stop to let a herd go past. Notice the road past the cattle. That was the beginning of my last climb for the day.

Missoula to Sula

2008-06-28T21:41:00.005-05:00

I was a little apprehensive returning to the bike after a rest day. I worried whether a rest day would decrease my motivation. Fortunately, it was good to ride again. It was another wonderful day. I know this is sounding very repetitious, but it’s true. I finally have my bike seat and the rest of the components adjusted to the point that I don’t notice them.
I misread the map yesterday. Instead of 110 miles, today was only 96 miles, including another map mistake which caused me to add some extra miles in Missoula. I needed to backtrack to Lolo to head south. The Adventure Cycling maps don’t show this very clearly and I had neglected to look at a regular map. Once I got this clarified, I was on the road again. I began humming a paraphrased version of a song my father liked. “You can bring cake and porterhouse steak but don’t bring Lolo.”

Today’s ride was very easy. The terrain was flat overall. I pushed into a mild headwind the first half of the ride and enjoyed a mild tailwind the second half. First thing tomorrow, I climb to the 7,241 foot Chief Joseph Pass on the Saddle Mountain.

Road kill. I’ve seen deer, a dog, a cat, skunk, opossum, several types of birds, raccoon and a fox. Today for the first time ever I saw a porcupine. Mary wanted a picture and a quill, but at the time I had no interest in stopping. It stunk.

Tonight we’re back in a national forest. Mary has selected yet another delightful USFS camp site next to the East Fork of the Bitterroot River. It’s just as lovely but quite a contrast from the Wendover campsite in Idaho. That was still rain forest. This is Ponderosa pines. The campsites make interesting bookends to the KOA now enclosed by Missoula. Here’s what it looks like from the camper.

Bialetti & Bagels

2008-06-26T20:15:00.002-05:00

First for breakfast, I tried oatmeal with raisins and instant coffee. The oatmeal stuck in my throat and the coffee tasted terrible. My new breakfast is espresso with a bagel and cream cheese. I learned in Italy last year that at home many Italians use a simple Bialetti espresso maker. It works great. Because the water is forced through the coffee grounds, they're quite dry and easy to clean up after breakfast. Plus I get a great shot of real coffee. I typically prepare everything the night before. Then I heat the coffee in the morning while I prepare for the day. I eat breakfast while reading my Eugene Peterson devotional and I'm ready to ride. I like this routine.

Map of Idaho Route

2008-06-26T20:13:00.001-05:00

Unending Beauty Two

2008-06-26T18:08:00.001-05:00

The water pump at the Wendover Camp Ground.

Rest Day

2008-06-26T12:53:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I biked 68 miles into Missoula Montana completing two states, 820 miles and the first leg of this ride before taking a rest day today. After climbing Lolo Pass in the morning, it was a challenge to bike the next 40 miles. My attitude said I’d done the work and deserved my rest, but I wasn’t there yet. The days ride ended at the Adventure Cycling Association’s headquarters. This is a non profit organization whose route and maps I’ve been using. They had pictures and bikes going back 30 years. They publish the Glacier National Park biking poster I have framed in my office.

I’ve now biked 820 out of 3,800 or so miles. I’ve averaged about 75 miles a day. At this pace I’ll get 7 total rest days. I started the ride untested but humbly confident. Now I’m just humbly confident. Other than one 3 mile climb up a 10% grade, I’ve learned there should be no other climbing challenges ahead that are greater than those I’ve completed. Going forward the biggest challenges will be days with a combination of heat, humidity and headwinds. I have yet to bike in the rain, but I’ve done it before. Maintaining a positive attitude will be very important.

Last night and tonight we’re staying at a KOA. On a family vacation, we stayed here 16 years ago and I was looking forward to the facilities, but times have changed. The campground hasn’t changed much, but the city has grown around it. I walked one block to a Great Clips this morning for a hair cut. All the big box stores are on the main drive one block away. It’s such a contrast to our site from just two nights ago. Can you find the KOA sign?

Tim from Iowa Bike and Fitness wanted me to see a friend who worked at Red's Bar, which apparently is famous. Tim, I hate to tell you this, it looks like a dive. I did go in and ask. Nobody knew what I was talking about. They made the usual friendly but disparaging comments about Iowa, so I left.

The goal tomorrow is a 110 mile ride. The next day will be my highest climb up to 7,241 feet over Gibbon’s pass.

Unending Beauty

2008-06-26T12:53:00.002-05:00

Today was a gradual 90 mile climb through unending beauty along the Lochsa River through one national forest after another. The first road through here wasn’t completed until 1962. The picture shows what we saw the entire day. There is little to report. I did pass the APGAR campground but I don’t know it’s score. It seemed healthy.

Tonight we're staying and the primitive but very lovely Wendover campground. Only two other sites are occupied. We left the back hatch on the van open and a very hungry chipmunk climbed in, trying to find a way into the plastic tot with our food. Mary and I chased it for quite a while as it didn't want to leave, first hiding under one of the front seates, then scurrying behind a tote. After we finally succeeded and chased it away, it hung around the tires for quite some time trying to find a way back inside.

White Bird Mountain

2008-06-26T11:59:00.003-05:00

Flowers while climbing White Bird Mountain on the Nez Perce Trail

First Century Ride & Contrasting People

2008-06-26T11:51:00.008-05:00

Yet another beautiful bicycling day. That makes nine in a row. James, another Transamerica bicyclist and I rode 108 miles from New Meadows to Stites. We’re camped behind the general store. Most of the ride was downhill, with one beautiful and very challenging climb on the Nez Perce trail. It was very long and I stopped several times, in part to catch my wind and in part to view the treeless beauty.

Yesterday I wrote about the solitary process of biking which is true. Then just about the time I was done we had a guest, Earl Wayne Bolton? From Kentucky? He was from the hollers of Appalachia? And he ended each sentence as though it was a question? Earl is very involved in outreach ministries. He went to the Cowboy Church on Friday night and the local Methodist Church on Sunday morning. He wanted to show us the stained glass and the food pantry, so we went for a drive. The Methodist Church was a lovely example of classic small town churches. One food pantry freezer had a large sign saying “Make No Judgments.”

While biking, I’ve seen hundreds of “Adopt a Highway” signs. Today I was bombing down the mountain and saw one that said “Adopt a Highway. Yahweh 666 Warning Assembly.” To my knowledge, most groups with names like that are premillenialists. I don’t think they typically care much for creation after the rapture occurs. Then a big gaudy pile of painted plywood flashed past on my left. It was the headquarters. I’ll post the sign it basically said Allah is Satan and Jesus it Satan, etc. Clearly this group (or probably just a person) is very opinionated and very judgmental. What a contrast to Earl Wayne Bolton who just wants to serve Jesus and help people.

There were at least four Yahweh 666 Warning Assembly Adopt a Highway signs on the road. It occurred to me the signs were simply free advertising. I hope the road side gets cleaned.

Map of Oregon Route

2008-06-22T20:39:00.002-05:00

Hallelujah

2008-06-22T15:51:00.003-05:00

All I can say about leaving Hell’s Canyon is HALLELUJAH I'm out of there! It was tough biking in and it was tough biking out. For the fifth time in 8 days I started with a climb to a summit. After yesterday, my legs were tired for most of today’s 76 mile ride. Today has been very solitary. Other than Mary, the only other person I talked to was a store clerk while purchasing beef jerky and a Gatorade. I didn’t see the other transcontinental bicyclists today, but Mary said she passed two coming out of Hell’s Canyon and they waved at her. I think the riding itself will be solitary. Connecting with people will happen in the campgrounds. So far, other than the first two days, it doesn’t seem to happen at the churches. Most of the churches have given us permission to camp and left us alone.

Lesson for today. Don’t sweat on the bike computer. (My family teases me about sweating. Here’s your chance again.) I stopped after climbing out of Hell’s Canyon to get my wind and I was just leaning over my bike. While biking down the summit I noticed my computer had quit working. After 12 miles it dried out and was normal for the rest of the day.

Odors/aromas. Some of the odors are gas and diesel fumes, and road kill. There’s a plant I don’t recognize that has a strong sweet/sick aroma. Others include; cattle, sheep, horses, alfalfa, prairie grass, cotton wood, juniper, pine, fir and sage brush.

Hell's Canyon

2008-06-22T15:27:00.002-05:00

After an 85 mile ride, tonight we’re staying at the Woodhead Campground on the Brownlee Reservoir. We’re just in Idaho and it’s now Mountain Standard Time. Today’s ride was very rewarding and contained some surprising challenges. Overall it was a gradual downhill ride with one 1,300 foot climb about 40 miles into the ride. I was surprised at the difficult grade, having to stop three times to catch my wind. Looking back from the summit, the sign said “7% grade. 3 miles.” From the east side of the summit, I enjoyed dropping 2 miles on the same 7% grade into Hell’s Canyon. The Adventure Cycling map warned of the high temperatures in the canyon and said bring extra water, which I did. The ride was going well until I reached the Brownlee Dam on mile 82, with the campground 3 miles into the reservoir. There was another 7% grade and a mild head wind. It was very hot and dry. In fact I learned the temperature was well into the 90's. I rested, finished my water and said a quick prayer. It wasn’t enough. Again I stopped a few times to regain my wind. The third time I stopped a young man; John pulled over and asked if I needed help. He gave me ice to put on my neck and water to rehydrate. Then Mary came back down the hill to check on me. After resting and rehydrating I went on. It was only an eighth of a mile and then downhill to the campground. John and his family are also camping and he directed Mary to a just vacated site. Then he came by later to make certain I was OK, which I am. I told him he’s an angel.

Several other transcontinental bicyclists planned to make it to this camp site today. The wind has become strong enough to blow over camp chairs. I hope they make it.

I did get a new saddle yesterday. It’s gel. The geometry doesn’t quite fit and it feels like wearing a diaper. It’s great. It absorbed all the road shock today. I wouldn’t be able to complete the tour without this more comfortable saddle.

4,000 Feet

2008-06-20T17:59:00.003-05:00

Wow. Three summit passes and 4,000 feet of vertical climbing in one day. I did break the speed limit going down the other side of one summit when I hit 40 mph. That was fun. Tomorrow we enter the wilderness of western Idaho. According to the maps it appears the next 2-3 days we probably won't have cell phone contact, internet contact or a wireless connection.
Blessings,
Cal

Pacing

2008-06-20T17:57:00.000-05:00

I’m making progress in identifying how to pace myself for an 80 mile day. I’ve found that the key is my pedaling cadence. Believe it or not a cadence of 80 – 90 rpm is the most efficient. I’m in that cadence most of the time now. When the cadence drops, I shift into an easier gear. Typically, it’s my nature to track my biking details during a ride. The ones I track the most are average speed and distance. I’ve found it’s very important for me to not look at either one on this ride. For example, today the climb out of Mitchell was a true 6% grade. My computer also shows my current speed which I new was 6 mph. My temptation is to push it down the other side of the mountain to increase this. It’s also important for me to not look at the day’s total distance. As I near the end of the day and I’m getting tired, I’m tempted to watch the miles and time begins to drag.

Two other pacing items are food and breaks. So far I eat breakfast and then don’t take a break for 30-40 miles. Mary meets me for this break. Today I took another break at 60 miles and had a Dillie Bar. It’s necessary to think of your body as an engine and I’ve yet to determine how to make it run best.

Today’s 77 mile ride was moderately challenging. In addition to the first climb, there was about 20 miles of loose gravel on a newly tarred road. Pushing through it was exhausting. Another reason to use cadence as my guide. The ride would have been 83 miles except for the road construction. Three of us had to put our bikes in the back of the Pilot Car (actually a pickup) to be transported through the construction zone.

Sited on the roadside: Ground squirrels and chipmunks that first ran and then scolded me. Two startled mule deer in the sage brush. Many red winged black birds that took offense at me. They would escort me out of their territory and then pass me off the next sentry. One bird after another shadowed me (literally) for the last 15 miles. And finally, in the middle of nowhere, an evergreen tree full of shoes. I have a picture which I’ll post when I can.

Tomorrow, 66 miles and three summit passes into Baker City.

Relax & Restore

2008-06-19T20:40:00.002-05:00

After a 47 mile ride and another (easy) mountain divide today we stopped in Mitchell, population 190. The city park allows free camping. Once again we have restrooms and water but no other amenities. Mary has devised a system for camper based sponge baths while I wash up with a small hose outside. Her way is warmer. Mine’s faster.

As I’ve said before, there are many people who make transcontinental bike trips. In fact, there are four of them, all self supported, staying in Mitchell tonight. Two decided to take a bunk and a bath at the local Oregon Hotel for $15 a night. Two of them are camping in the park with us. James is from Eugene, taking the Adventure Cycling route to Virginia. Allen is from Connecticut and I’m not certain where he leaves the route. He’s got a solar cell that charges his cell phone, MP3 player and CPS. Steve is from Philadelphia. He’s taking the route to Virginia and then taking another Adventure cycling route to Florida. Then there’s the guy on a recumbent I met yesterday who did the route last year and the two Dutch guys whom I’m told are just ahead of us. In fact I saw them leave Mitchell just as I arrived. They plan to bike to the John Day Fossil Beds yet today. Everybody’s bike and equipment are unique. Every body’s story is unique.

Overall the ride today went very well. I am having a problem with my bike seat which won’t stay pointed down. I’m afraid to try tightening the bolt again for fear of breaking it. Although I’ve had this seat for several years, it may be too hard for a long tour like this. The next town with a bike shop is Baker City, which is a two day ride. I think I’ll investigate saddles there and also have them tighten the bolt. If it breaks, which has happened before, they’ll have another one. More later.

Tomorrow is just one climb of 1,300 feet up to 4,320 feet. This starts right out of Mitchell after which it’s a gradual down slope of 80 miles to Prairie City.

One Down

2008-06-17T19:58:00.014-05:00

I'm very pleased that I passed the test of the first mountain pass. From the campground, it was 15 miles of almost continuous climbing. For most of the climb I think the temperature was 40 degrees. This was my first big test and it went well. The reward was dropping down 2,000 feet on the other side, coasting at 35 mph. That was great. Five more mountain passes and we're out of Oregon. I haven't dared look ahead to Idaho and Wyoming.

What wasn't so great was falling off my bike. I was biking up a grade before the town of Sisters. There was a passing lane. My bike lane was narrowed by gravel. Two trucks passed. I pulled into the gravel and off the road. Just last night I tried to adjust the cleats on my bike pedels so they would release easier, but I didn't have the right size allen wrench. So into soft red lava rock gravel I went, falling on my left side (the right side derailleur and gears need to be protected) both feet still in the pedals. The only thing hurt was my pride. I found a bike shop in Sisters and they're now adjusted for a faster release. I've also adjusted the angle on my bike seat to point down a little more. Biking in the mountains is fine, but just sitting pedalling on the plains gets a little uncomfortable.

Most of today's ride was in what's called the high desert. This area is at 3,000 feet and receives 12 inches of precipitation annually. While totally different than the Northwest coastal rain forest, it's very lovely.

Tomorrow will truly be a shorter day of 48 miles. The choices were to bike the Ochoco Pass (4,720 feet) and stay in Mitchell or also bike the Keyes Creek Pass (4,357 feet) Unfortunately there's no lodging or camping, or towns for that matter, for quite a ways past Keyes Creek. I think Google Maps said it would be about 90 miles to the next campground. The ride is off to a great start. I bonked once in training and I don't want to do it again. Tomorrow I stop and smell the mountain flowers.

Tonight we're staying at the 1st Baptist Church of Prineville. Tonight we'll also research a campground in Mitchell that has showers. The van needs to be washed, but Mary says she gets a hot shower first.

Another Wonderful Day

2008-06-17T19:33:00.000-05:00

Tonight we’re in the Willamette Nation Forest at the Ice Cap Campground on the McKenzie River. This is a very lovely very primitive U.S Forest Service campground. There are no showers or electricity and no cell phone reception. The water is very cold. I almost got a headache rinsing my hair as part of a very quick and very cold sponge bath. The beautiful Koosah Falls are less than a quarter mile from our campsite, making a lovely white noise in the background that later should lull us to sleep.

The weather was gorgeous again today with temperatures reaching the low 80’s, no humidity and a little tail wind. As we left Eugene, both Mary and I made a wrong turn which added about 4 miles to my 80.75 total riding distance. Most of the route was on Highway 126 along the McKenzie and Blue Rivers. It was stunning. I took pictures of mountain flowers and small water falls surrounded by rocks covered with most and ferns. Unfortunately it takes a long time to load them. Please use your imagination. For the last 5 miles, I rode up a very steep grade, which went very well. Tomorrow the grade will be the same until I cross the Santiam Pass at 4,817 feet. This will be my first mountain pass ever. From there it’s downhill to Redmond and on to Prineville. Because of lodging, this will be another shorter day of about 75 miles.

An Excellent Day

2008-06-15T22:34:00.002-05:00

What a wonderful day. The challenges were all manageable and the blessings will take time to sort out. I rode 66 miles today. Knowing that it would be a short day, I decided to attend the 8:15 service with Mary. Then it was time to start. Highway 126 connects Florence to Eugene. It begins along the Siuslaw river, which is beautiful. Unfortunately, it was very congested with weekend travelers returning from the coast. That was a little unnerving. I had two fairly steep climbs and rode through a tunnel. There was no bike lane in the tunnel. You actually pushed a button by the tunnel. This activates a flashing sign warning there's a bicylist in the tunnel and that the maximum speed is 20 mph. Mary met me halfway at a the town of Walton, which has a Walton's Mountain General Store.

Until reaching the Eugene city limits, the second half of the ride was more challenging. The road ran through a marsh. The road narrowed and the traffic seemed to increase. No vehicles really came very close to me. There were just a lot of them. I decided I need to practice being in the moment.

Eugene is wonderful. It reminds me of Madison Wisconsin, full of alternative people. I knew it's described as one of the most bike friendly cities in the country and this is true. There were bike trails and bike paths everywhere. What a blessing after the narrow congest section of 126 that I had just completed.

We had been given the name of the Norkenzie Christian Church. Mary called and talked to an elder, Merlyn Hough. He gave us permission to camp in the church parking lot and then invited us for supper. We met his wife, Martha, her parents, her sister and sister's husband and three of their five children. What a wonderful family. Turns out Merlyn also bikes. Last year he rode in the week long Bike Oregon. He new of Pella and RAGBRAI. He and his brother in law, Bill helped me plan for tomorrow. It turns out the road to McKenzie pass is still closed due to snow and won't open until mid July. We'll be taking the alternate route which again is Highway 126. We're at about 400 feet right now. Tomorrow I climb to over 4,000 feet. There are no towns along the route, but plenty of camp grounds. The goal will be to climb as high as I can or even make it over the pass and then find a camp ground. They also told us we probably won't have cell phone coverage for the next day which means there won't be any updates.

What was the biggest blessing today? Meeting the Houghs.

Pre Ride Musings

2008-06-14T23:11:00.005-05:00

In the book "The Right Stuff" Tom Wolfe describes the Apollo astronauts training. He said they went through so many simulations they would compare the actual event, such as the rocket lift off, to the simulations. I wonder if that's what I'll experience tomorrow. I've ridden 13 Tour's of the Mississippi River Valley (TOMRV is a great challenging two day ride.) I've ridden 5 Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. I've ridden over 2,000 miles many years. But I've never ridden up a 6% grade in the Cascade Mountains. I wonder what the back roads of Wyoming will be like.

I hope the riding will be a combination of all the best of my experience and reasonable training with all the adventure, excitement and challenge of a new unknown road. In five or six days I'll have a much better idea of the ride.

Tonight it's windy. Apparently it's windy most of the time in Florence. The temperature will be around 40. I'm only going 60 miles tomorrow, so I think I'll go the the 8:15 church service with Mary and let it warm up a little bit.

Travel Observations

2008-06-14T22:40:00.012-05:00

Just a few random observations.

It's 2,035 miles from Pella, Iowa to Florence, Oregon. According to the van computer, we used 97.8 gallons of gas, averaged 20.3 miles per gallon and averaged 55.7 miles per hour.

How many times can you meet a stranger on a trip? We ate breakfast at a Burger King in Wyoming. In the restaurant, there was a Hispanic family, a real cowboy (He had a cell phone along with his leather gloves. He had a sweat ring on his hat with two stains on the crown. Mary said they came when he gallantly doffed his hat to women) and a German couple with three little girls. I met the German couple again six hours later at a gas station on a different interstate. A couple hours later they passed me.

I've seen at least a dozen bicyclists so far. A few have road bikes like me. Most have touring bikes or mountain bikes and are loaded with gear or pulling a trailer. Many of the self contained bicyclists are couples. They seem to come in two ages young and pre-family or older like Mary and me. Several bicyclists have clearly been indigents. In Idaho, it's legal to bike on the interstate. One disheveled man was peddling a tadpole recumbent (that's the one with two wheels in the front) and was pulling what looked like a six foot trailer covered with tarp. He has stopped at the road side and was examining something from the ditch. I wonder what his life adventure has been.

Finally, don't wear rubber sandals for 36 hours straight and take them off before going to sleep in the van with the windows closed. Your wife might object.

Dedicated to Phil

2008-06-14T22:17:00.007-05:00

I'm dedicating this ride to my second older brother Phil. Phil has many great qualities. He's curious. He has many interests. He's an instigator. Phil has non specific neuromuscular degeneration. It's similar to ALS but slower. Professionally a computer programmer, he's now on disability fairly house bound these days. One of the most frustrating problems with the disease is extreme fatigue and boredom. He's as sharp as ever, but has no energy. Even so, he has his ways. Just today he sent an email to my extended family and friends telling them to read Mary's blog because I don't publish very often. I told him I've been busy taking care of work items such as time cards so the staff can be paid, driving and sleeping so that I would be alert. I also told him I wasn't defensive, after all, I'm a trained professional.

If you recall, Phil gave me the cash to purchase my first bike. He and I have had a few nice rides including a very nice one on my tandem. He's had some great rides with his older sons before the illness progressed.

Phil I'm dedicating this ride to you.

Farewell's and Blessings

2008-06-14T21:07:00.022-05:00

After we left home (notice Mary driving?) and when we pulled away from the Pella Clinic late last Thursday morning, it was hard to believe that Mary and I were finally starting out on one of the biggest adventures of our lives. Could it really be true? Was it finally happening? It was hard to comprehend. All the planning and preparations were complete. We were moving ahead for better or for worse. It reminded me of getting married. Mary and I drove away from the Tracy Iowa church and I looked at my ring and remembered my vow and I thought, "So this is it. Now I'm married. How does this feel? I felt excited, relieved, apprehensive, curious and in love. And I felt sick. Which was true. Mary and I and half the wedding party came down with a bug or something that gave us a violent stomach flu. We spent the first night sick and the next day drinking SevenUp and passing Pepto Bismol between us. I left Pella with all the same feelings except being sick. We're off to a great start.

Over the last couple weeks there have been farewells and blessings from so many friends and colleagues, it's been a little overwhelming but very encouraging. Thank you everyone! One friend told me call him from the road. He asked me to describe the view from the top of a mountain after completeing a challenging climb.

A favorite prayer for bicyclist is the Irish blessing: "May the road rise to meet you.May the wind be always at your back.May the sun shine warm upon your face.And rains fall soft upon your fields.And until we meet again,May God hold you in the hollow of His hand."

Here's another one for anyone on a journey:

I lift up my eyes to the hills

where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip

he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you

the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm

he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going

now and forevermore.

Psalm 121

Marty Doane

2008-06-10T21:12:00.009-05:00

This is Marty Doane, owner of Iowa Bike and Fitness. For about 20 years now, Marty has provided me with bicycles and serviced them. He typically compliments me that I'm good at keeping the tires inflated and bad at keeping them clean. This is true. Anyway, in addition to the bike, he's also provided me with tires, clothing, helmet and everything else I need all at cost. He's been unfailingly helpful and supportive and given me good advice. I'd send you to his website, but it's still being built. You can call him at 641-628-1373. I know I've said it before, but I need to say it one last time. Thanks Marty!

Bonked

2008-06-06T21:27:00.002-05:00

Well I did it again. Yesterday I bonked. I know better, but it still happened. What's a bonk? A bonk occurs for a bicyclist by completely running out of energy, usually due to dehydration and depleted calories. The solution is prevention. Drink plenty of water and take energy bars or some other high calorie food with you. Of course I know this, I've bonked more than once in the past It happened again because I didn't plan carefully. I wanted to complete one last 60-80 mile ride. I had the time, so I left home with two water bottles and a power bar. Unfortunately, I was riding into a 25-35 mph wind with 85 degree temperatures and humidity. There were no gas stations or convenience stores along the route. I turned back at 30 miles and was totally exhausted with 10 miles left. I felt like a drained battery. I stopped for a rest, which helped briefly, but just like battery, I didn't carry a charge for long. After several more stops, each one happening sooner than the last, I finally made it home. After drinking several glasses of water and eating some good food, I felt fine.

Did I learn anything? Nothing new, but it was good to be reminded of an old familiar lesson.

Random Details

2008-05-29T16:58:00.003-05:00

Mary and I leave in exactly two weeks. She has check lists. I don't. I keep mental lists. I think her method is better. I probably should adopt it. It takes an hour to drive from Pella to the Des Moines Clinic. This morning I spent the time generating a random list of details that I need to address in the next 14 days.

Have I thought of all the bills that need to be put on automatic funds withdrawal?

Don't forget the Dr's appointment tomorrow for your mild tennis elbow. The new bike has helped greatly, but it still should be examined.

The Des Moines Register needs to be cancelled.

I still need the to two guys from Newton to return my phone call and schedule an expert bike fitting.

The temperature was 27 degrees in Yellowstone National Park this morning! 27 degrees! I wonder what it will be in early July when I bike through. I hope the new fleece I ordered arrives tomorrow so I know it fits.

Don't forget to write Thank You notes for the three donations that came in yesterday.

Don't forget to get extra camper keys made.

Don't forget to confirm that the minivan hitch has the correct ball on it.

Remember to ask Mary to pick up a couple of your favorite Eugene Peterson devotionals from Gosselinks Christian Book Store.

I think I want to take a couple novels with me. What do I want to read?

Now what was it I remembered a while ago, thought I wouldn't forget and didn't write down?

Training Update

2008-05-26T20:20:00.007-05:00

Like I've said before, I'm not a fitness fanatic. I probably should be more self disciplined, especially in my diet. I know on the tour I'll be burning an extra 3,000 calories a day. The problem is that I eat as though this is already true. Even so, I think my training has progressed very nicely. I've followed the training protocol fairly closely and used the heart monitor. I've increased strength and endurance steadily by the week, including a four week build up followed by a rest week and building again.

The biggest stressor has been the rain, wind and cold. Yes I know there will be bad weather on the tour, but training in this stuff day after day is getting tiresome. We've just completed the Memorial Day weekend. I had planned an 80 mile ride on Saturday, but it rained in the morning, followed by 20-30 mph winds with gusts up to 40 mph. In frustration, I decided to ride into the wind on Highway 163, a divided four lane highway. What a mistake. Even though I was on the right side of the white line, there was too much traffic, often side by side passing at me 70 mph. I made it 7 miles out and raced back. I won't do that again.

Sunday was spent presenting at the First Christian Reformed Church as part of the fundraising for Pine Rest. Then I went to a graduation party, so there was only time for a 25 mile ride.

Monday began with the usual rain and wind. Finally it cleared. The day became sunny and artic high bright. I went for an 80 mile ride. It was great. The tour daily mileage goal on the tour will be 80 - 100 miles a day. Completing 80 miles and feeling decent afterward was very gratifying. I think I'm ready.

New Bicycle

2008-05-26T09:21:00.003-05:00

I have a new road bike for the ride. It's a Trek Madone 5.2 Performance Fit with a triple crank. It's the most comfortable road bike I've ever ridden. Bike technology has improved considerably sinceI purchased my first single speed bike when I was 11 years old. I didn't have enough money, so my brother Phil paid the balance. It wasn't a name brand bike. The fork was a different color from the rest of the bike. It had wide chrome handle bars that would swing around in an accident, hitting your ribs leaving long red and purple bruises and sometimes a red circle from the end of the handle where the rubber hand guards had worn off and the rough steel was exposed. I loved that bike.

Since then, I've had three additional road bikes. As a college freshman I purchased an off brand Italian 10 speed, a Doniselli, with low end Campy parts and tubular tires. It was very high maintenance. In the 80's I purchased a Team Fugi. That's when I learned I sweat too much for a steel frame bike. Thirteen years ago I purchased a Merlin, which I've been riding until this week. This has been a very good bike, but quite stiff, which makes me quite stiff.

The Madone however, is just incredible. My first single speed was the only bike that absorbed road shock better. But that bike also weighed over 30 pounds. The Trek provides a very comfortable ride, yet the bike is light and responsive. The higher stem means a more relaxed, slightly upright riding position. My palms don't go numb and my neck doesn't get stiff. I've got enough gears to climb the mountains and go fast on the plains. I look forward to riding this bike because it just feels good.

Here's another unsolicited endorsement. For all your bicycling needs, contact Marty Doane at Iowa Bike & Fitness in Pella, Iowa. His phone is 641-628-1373. Marty recommended this particular bike and I purchased it sight unseen based on his recommendation. Marty graciously supplied the Trek Madone and some additional gear at cost. Thank you Marty!

Camper

2008-05-26T09:04:00.005-05:00

We have lodging! Here's an unsolicited very appreciative endorsement. Midway RV in Grand Rapids, Michigan sold this 2007 Coleman for a very fair price. For all your camping and RV needs, check them out at; http://www.midwayrvcenter.com/

Mary and I are very familiar with Coleman campers and camping. Camping at the local Red Rock Dam with our good friends and their children was a family tradition. We'd go camping two and often three times a year. Some of our fondest memories and stories came from those days. I think we may have another set of memories and stories to add after this adventure.

Mary's been busy equipping the camper with utensils, water containers, etc. We'll pull the camper with our mini van and we're all set.

Theme Song

2008-04-22T15:25:00.000-05:00

A few years ago a friend gave me a CD entitled "The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan." Most of the songs on the CD were composed in the early 1980's. Many of them are great. On this CD, they're all performed by African American singers and Gospel Choirs. Mary and I were both drawn to one particular song, Pressing On, sung by Chicago Mass Choir.

The song describes life's journey as a Christian when encountering resistant skeptics of the Gospel's good news and the temptation to quit being a Christian witness. The chorus proclaims the singer's response to these burdens: "Well I'm pressing on. Yes I'm pressing. Well I'm pressing on to the higher calling of my Lord." Bob Dylan's imagery suggests this is a journey filled with challenges. In the face of these challenges, rather than being diverted or quiting, the singer believes and experiences a higher calling. Even in adversity, there is hope and the ultimate achievement of a goal.

Although a transcontinental bike ride is a different challenge, Pressing On has become the theme song for the tour. Biking can be a physical resistance to which the options are to quit or to press on. Like every bicyclist, all too often I've known the triple resistance of heat, hills and head winds that can build to a temptation to quit. I've stood at the bottom of a hill, with cramps in my legs, wondering how I will proceed. I've bonked more times than I care to admit.

Bicycling can also be the crucible in which other emotional and spiritual struggles are resolved. At least this has been true for me. One year, I experienced a tragedy that knocked me down for months. I was flat, even depressed. Life was grey for many months. Eventually, it became familiar and I no longer noticed it. I went completed the entire spring training season numb, empty and going through the motions. I wanted to quit. Unfortunately, I had to press on because I was committed to riding on the Register's Annual Great Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). I was going to ride on tandems with my 14 year old daughter, my best friend and one of his sons. RAGBRAI is a seven day ride across Iowa with over 10,000 other bicyclists. I had ridden it before. It had been great fun. Knowing this didn't help. Considering the ride felt overwhelming. I decided the only option was to press on. And then it all changed. Halfway into the first day's ride, I became aware of a surprising emotion, joy. I remember and love that day. My daughter and my friends son were laughing and singing on the back of the tandems. We were coasting down a small hill with the sun behind us and beautiful corn fields on both sides. You could smell the corn. Somehow enduring the internal resistance, discouragement and temptation to quite was rewarded with a tangible blessing. This doesn't always happen for me, but it did this time. I knew and I know I was blessed.

Will I be physically challenged on this tour? Absolutely. Will I be emotionally and spiritually challenged? Probably. I think I'm finally becoming a wiser and more mature bicyclist and person and this should help. My goals are to be physically fit but also emotionally and spiritually prepared. The training seems to be going well. My prayer is that when I encounter adversities I will be able to be "Pressing on to the higher calling of my Lord."

"...One thing I do: forgetting what is behind me and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the gaol to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward..." Philippians 3:13,14

The Route

2008-04-13T17:03:00.001-05:00

How do you determine a bicycle route across the United States? The options are virtually endless. I'm taking a northern route. Some people are drawn to the lower states. I've always enjoyed the seasons and the geography in the north. After selecting a northern route, the only other consideration was to travel through Des Moines and Pella stopping at the Pine Rest Iowa Clinics, (After all raising funds for the Pine Rest Iowa Clinics is one of the main goals for the tour.) and then to swing through western Michigan, stopping at the Pine Rest main campus in Grand Rapids. This has lead to one of the main joke questions I hear; "So are you planning to bike across Lake Michigan?" No, but I am planning to take the high speed ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon and I'm not peddling on the ferry. I decided it's better to travel through Milwaukee than the dense population on the south side of Chicago.

Having chosen a route the next step is to select the specific roads. The most important consideration in choosing a road is safety. The safest road often means the road less traveled. (Sorry Robert Frost) Some roads are designated for bicyclists with signs. Even better, some have a bike lane. I've never biked in the mountainous northwest. Therefore I needed a trusted, established route. I'm using maps I purchased from Adventure Cycling out of Missoula, Montana. The route was first charted for the 1976 bicentennial. Their maps determined my starting point in Florence, Oregon. I'll follow them through the Cascade mountains, from Oregon, to Missoula, Montana and on to Rawlings, Wyoming. The route passes through Yellowstone Nation Park, which should be stunning.

So far, I've also gotten bicycle maps for Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ontario and New York. I still need Michigan and Massachusetts. The New York route follows the Erie canal, which means 373 flat miles, but beautiful towns and rich history.

After I chose the general route and the maps dictated our starting point, how did I decide where to end? I told Mary it would be somewhere in Massachusetts. She then informed me we would end in Salem because "We've never been there and I want to see it."

I hope to have time this week to pick up the last of the needed maps. Just writing about the route makes me excited. I'll provide more details later. Stay in touch. I promise to post pictures.

How's the Training Going?

2008-04-02T16:15:00.000-05:00

Often people ask "So how do you train to ride a bicycle across the United States?" Well, you ride a bike for many miles before you embark on a transcontinental bike ride that's also many miles. Actually, this isn't entirely true. Some people don't train at all while others are very rigorous about the activity. I've known or read about several people embarking on this adventure with little to no training. Of course the problem with this approach is the difficulty in getting fit while in the process of completing the tour. I've participated in century rides (100 miles) with insufficient training, thinking I could succeed with a positive attitude and experience. The outcome has typically been exhaustion, muscle cramps, a rueful attitude and significantly increased experience. Learning from painful experience, I am training now, am already in decent physical condition and by June should be ready to ride 80 miles a day.

Others are very disciplined in their training. They wear a heart monitor. They follow a carefully developed plan. Some use computer programs to plan their training and plot their progress. This approach is excellent, depending on your temperament. I don't think this approach fits my temperament. It's too detailed and, I must confess, too disciplined. I lose the joy when I try to train like this. Even so, I've purchased a heart monitor. Heart monitors are very helpful in training as it's possible to over train. They're also good to wear at least during the first few days of the ride, as it's important to consistently stay below 85% of you maximum heart rate. So, I'm giving the heart monitor a try. Last night I tried to determine my maximum heart rate. The easiest way is to subtract your age from 220. In my case this means my maximum heart rate is 167 beats per minute. I decided to measure it by biking on my resistance trainer as hard as I could. The highest number I achieved was 151. Now I have to decide whether that's my maximum heart rate or that under the circumstances I wasn't able to achieve more than 90%. Tonight I'm going out on the bike path and I'll see whether I get a different result. I've not decided what I think about this yet.

Ultimately, my training style is somewhere in the middle of these other options. All winter I've completed a series of strength training exercises, ridden my resistance trainer and used a Nordic track. Now I'm regularly riding outside. I've completed a couple nice 26 mile rides on the trail beside Red Rock Lake. I'll gradually increase one long ride per week until I'm at least at 70 miles. I hope to figure out the heart monitor so that it can be helpful. If that's not enough, I'll rely on a good attitude and experience!

It's Spring!

2008-03-24T21:08:00.000-05:00

The snow has finally melted, leaving sand on the streets and phenomenal potholes. Daylight savings time began two weeks ago. Every week there are a few days when the temperature is at least 50 degrees. Some people ride their bikes outdoors all winter. I'm not that tough! This is the week outdoor training begins in earnest. I'll let you know how it goes.

Why Ride?

2008-03-04T19:38:00.000-06:00

When people learn about the Renewing Spirits Bicycle Tour, they often ask me "Why do you want to do that?" There are many answers. I get to travel and see 4,000 miles of beautiful country at 15 miles an hour. I get to spend eight weeks with Mary, the love of my life. I expect to meet many wonderful people and maybe one or two who aren't so nice. But this ride has distilled down into two crystal clear answers for me. To paraphrase Eric Liddell from Chariots of Fire, "When I bike I feel God's pleasure." And "When I serve people at Pine Rest I feel God's pleasure." The pleasure in the riding is in enjoying the gift of being able to ride. The pleasure in serving is in doing God's will and being used in his healing ministry.

I look forward with eager anticipation to the bike ride. I truly enjoy bicycling, even when it's cold, windy, rainy and I'm exhausted. There can be satisfaction and yes even pleasure in completing the most grueling ride. At other times, riding is an elegant thrill, rounding curves rolling along flat roads and yes, having the wind at my back. I often consider riding a spiritual experience. Feeling God's pleasure means feeling blessed in all circumstances, grueling or exhilarating.

In much the same way, most days (but not all!) I look forward with eager anticipation to go to work. Some of the people I have the privilege to serve have life situations that are grueling and painful to an extreme. Some times I have the privilege to witness the thrilling and complete resolution of a stressful problem and release of a person or a family to a full life. God is present here too. So why ride? For both reasons. I hope to be blessed by the ride in and of itself. However, if I can also raise support for the work of Pine Rest in Iowa, I will be doubly blessed.

Anticipation

2008-02-24T09:39:00.000-06:00

Like Carly Simon said, "Anticipation! It's making me wait!"

It's cold outside! This morning is relatively warm at 7 degrees. And the snow. So far we've received over 50 inches. It's piled higher than my bike.

Even so, there are signs of spring. I've heard but not seen a robin sing. The sun is growing stronger and the light is lasting longer. Even when it's freezing the roads are drying. Today the temperature will pass 40 degrees. The first Iowa Cubs home baseball game is just over a month away.

Anticipation. It won't be long now. Soon spring will be here and the road cycling will begin. Meanwhile I ride my resistance trainer in the basement and imagine everything I will see on the Renewing Spirits Bicycle Tour. I'm stationary yet peddling through mountains and plains, past loons on lakes and onto the Atlantic. Now is the time for planning and preparation. The details need attention. Even so, anticipation is sustaining me. Ever since high school I've wanted to complete a transcontinental bike ride. I can wait a few more weeks.