Miles Today: 70.97; Total Miles: 1815.3
Today was probably the best day of the trip so far. I couldn't believe the change of events that happened.
With all of my problems with the rack in the past, I was really looking forward to a nice ride through the Texas countryside. Everything was going great and the weather was in the 70s. The sun was shining and the bike was as quiet as could be. While I was riding on the back roads, I started to reflect on the trip so far and began thinking about the days ahead. Some dogs chased me but none of them seemed to be out for blood; they just were trying to scare me.
Then, about 10 miles from Navasota my good day changed suddenly. As I was riding down this side road, three dogs simultaneously came out of their yard and entered the street. I was getting tired by this time and was in no mood to sprint away from them. I slammed on the back brake, skidding on some dirt and rocks, and was set to spray them with my 'Halt' spray. I reached back, grabbed it, and pointed it in their direction. I think I yelled out loud, "Ok, come at me!" After doing that, I realized that just pointing the spray at them seemed to scare them enough. I might not have to use that stuff after all.
After they retreated, I started to ride again. As soon as I did I started hearing a flapping noise coming from the back tire. I looked down and saw that a strip of rubber on the outside of the back tire had come off and a remaining rubber strip was still attached, but flapping. What was I to do? The tire still had the radial cover beneath the rubber that was protecting the inner tube from blowing, but how long would that last? I checked the map to see where the next bike shop was on the route. It was over 400 miles away!
My options were to try to find a major city off the route that might have a bike shop and ride there or just go to Navasota and see if there was any tire repair shop in town. I decided on the latter. I was just hoping that I would not have a blowout before I got there.
I arrived in Navasota about 12:30 pm and immediately found a car tire repair shop. I rode over there and asked them if they could repair my tire. They said that they could not but that there was a lawnmower/car/bicycle tire repair shop around the corner. They pointed the way and I went over there for some help. It was called Notos Repair Shop. When I got there, I met Shawn who said he might have a tire that fit. Now this was a small town repair shop so they did not have the latest of anything. It looked like all of their stuff was already used in some way. Anyway, Shawn came back with a tire and we tried to fit it to my rim. It was too big.
As I started to panic, I asked him where the closest big town was and he said that Houston was 90 miles away (a LONG bike ride - especially on a tire like that). Then he said that College Station, which is the home to Texas A&M, was only 23 miles north of Navasota and he happened to be going up there to pick up supplies. Not only that, but he would be leaving in just a few minutes and had planned to be back to Navasota within the hour! What luck! He said that they have a really nice bike shop up in that town and they would surely have a tire to fit my bike.
Well, to make a long story short, Shawn drove me up there, I was able to get a tire to fit my bike, and we got back to Navasota within the hour. I offered him money for his trouble but he refused to take it. I am sooo glad there are people like this in the world. I do not know what I would have done if Shawn was not working that day. Oh yeah, another thing, he rides a Harley Davidson motorcycle but that day he brought his truck to work. I told him that I was really lucky that he didn't bring his motorcycle that day. He said, "Yeah, I don't ride with no man straddled to me in the back, people would talk". I said, "I don't either."
I was feeling very good after that whole thing. I finished the day at the local Best Western restaurant which had Domino's Pizza right across the parking lot from it. All and all a GREAT DAY!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Day 26 - Austin, TX to La Grange, TX (Call Me The Breeze)
Miles Today: 75.66; Total Miles: 1744.4
I am having no luck when it comes to wind. Today I had about a 25 mph headwind most of the way. One thing I can say...hills don't seem to be a problem anymore, but the wind is another thing entirely. It will take the wind right out of you...ha!
Today was also the first full day with my new back rack and rear panniers (saddlebags). They are GREAT! No problems and because of the lower center of gravity I can now stand up on my bike to do hills. Before my garbage can would sway back and forth too much and really threw off the bike's balance. I am really glad I switched. I hope it keeps up.
Anyway, getting out of Austin proved to be more difficult than I thought. I started today at 7:15 and headed southeast out of Austin. I could not seem to find the road I was looking for. I had to backtrack at least 3 times on the same road until I finally decided a different plan of attack. The rush hour traffic didn't help either. When I finally got out of the city I had driven an additional 7 miles! Fun, Fun, Fun.
Then, about 20 miles into the day I rode through Bastrop State Park. The directions on my map were too vague and I ended up taking the long way through the park (additional miles, of course). I was trying to be patient but it was making me a little upset, I have to say.
I arrived in La Grange at approx. 2:15 pm. I found a Best Western to stay at for the night. These motels are emptying out my wallet. I am seriously thinking about starting to camp out more to save money.
Tomorrow, my destination is Navasota (the last destination on Map 4). Starting Map 5 means that I only have 3 more maps (out of 7) to go so I am making some real progress.
Side Note: I wanted to say that I am really enjoying all of your comments and emails. I really appreciate that you take the time and write a little something. It really refreshes my spirit when I read them. Thanks!
I am having no luck when it comes to wind. Today I had about a 25 mph headwind most of the way. One thing I can say...hills don't seem to be a problem anymore, but the wind is another thing entirely. It will take the wind right out of you...ha!
Today was also the first full day with my new back rack and rear panniers (saddlebags). They are GREAT! No problems and because of the lower center of gravity I can now stand up on my bike to do hills. Before my garbage can would sway back and forth too much and really threw off the bike's balance. I am really glad I switched. I hope it keeps up.
Anyway, getting out of Austin proved to be more difficult than I thought. I started today at 7:15 and headed southeast out of Austin. I could not seem to find the road I was looking for. I had to backtrack at least 3 times on the same road until I finally decided a different plan of attack. The rush hour traffic didn't help either. When I finally got out of the city I had driven an additional 7 miles! Fun, Fun, Fun.
Then, about 20 miles into the day I rode through Bastrop State Park. The directions on my map were too vague and I ended up taking the long way through the park (additional miles, of course). I was trying to be patient but it was making me a little upset, I have to say.
I arrived in La Grange at approx. 2:15 pm. I found a Best Western to stay at for the night. These motels are emptying out my wallet. I am seriously thinking about starting to camp out more to save money.
Tomorrow, my destination is Navasota (the last destination on Map 4). Starting Map 5 means that I only have 3 more maps (out of 7) to go so I am making some real progress.
Side Note: I wanted to say that I am really enjoying all of your comments and emails. I really appreciate that you take the time and write a little something. It really refreshes my spirit when I read them. Thanks!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Day 25 - Day Off in Austin, TX
My day off was spent with my friend Georganne, her husband Mark, and their 2 kids Adi and Doug (sorry if I didn't spell your names correctly). I had a wonderful time with them driving around Austin and checking out the sites. We went to a park on a beautiful, sunny 68 degree day and just walked and talked...oh yeah, we rode the miniature train too. I am so glad that I reunited with Georganne and that I had the downtime to spend with her and her family in Austin. Thanks guys, I really enjoyed it!
This is a picture of the Imperial Sand Dunes on my way to Brawley, CA. You don't see these in Pennsylvania.
This tunnel was about 2 miles out of Superior, AZ. As you can see it was pretty dark and scary. We ended up walking our bikes through here with the bikes on the road and ourselves on a small sidewalk. This is also the same place where that dog followed us out of town. The dog was scared to enter the tunnel and left us at that point.
Well, I finally got my first roll of pictures developed. These are just a few pictures from San Diego, CA through Superior, AZ. Hope you like them.
This is the traditional picture of me in San Diego dipping my back wheel in the Pacific Ocean symbolizing my trek from West to East. It was the start of my trip. Unfortunately, it was really rainy and windy that day and I had sand in my gears, brakes and tires until I hit El Centro miles later.
This is a picture of the Imperial Sand Dunes on my way to Brawley, CA. You don't see these in Pennsylvania. 
This is a bridge coming out of Superior, AZ. We crossed it on the way up to the tunnel in the following picture.
This tunnel was about 2 miles out of Superior, AZ. As you can see it was pretty dark and scary. We ended up walking our bikes through here with the bikes on the road and ourselves on a small sidewalk. This is also the same place where that dog followed us out of town. The dog was scared to enter the tunnel and left us at that point.
Here is me and Joe the morning we left Coy and Kat's house in Three Way, AZ.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Day 24 - Blanco, TX to Austin, TX (Seeing Georganne)
Miles Today: 68.71; Total Miles: 1668.7
In Austin I will not only see Georganne again, who I haven't seen in 20 years, but I will also have a day off (my first since Phoenix, AZ). Let's get to the ride...
I went from heat to wind. Winds were gusting to 25 miles/hr from the north. Guess which way I was going? The whole trip was slow and windy. I left Blanco at 7:15 am and made Austin by 11:30 am. I got good directions to the bike shop and heading there first. I had my rack replaced and put panniers on the bike. I hope this will solve my problems.
An interesting thing happened after I left the bike shop. I called some of the motels that the ACA recommends on the maps. I called the first one but it was booked for both nights. The second had a phone number that no longer worked. I finally got through to the third one. They quoted a price of $90 for both nights. I looked at the map and rode over there. When I got there I asked the girl behind the counter for a non-smoking room. She said, "That's ok, they don't smell." I said, "No, I want a non-smoking room please." She just gave me a blank stare. I knew something was up. Then I went to pay. I pulled out my credit card and she told me that they only take cash. Just then her mom came into the office. They had a conversation and FINALLY I paid and got the key to my room.
You should have seen this room. It looked like the WORST broken down room you ever saw. There was a TV but no remote control. There was no rug and the floor was stained from some unknown substance. I said to myself, "I am NOT staying here". I made a call to 'Information' and asked for hotel phone numbers. Within 10 minutes I was out of there. I gave the girl a story about a sudden 'family' emergency and she bought it and gave me my money back. Hey, I don't recommend lying but in those times, you gotta do what you gotta do.
I ended up the night at the Days Inn with a really nice room and this computer to update the blog. Georganne is coming to town tonight and said that she wants to meet with me for dinner. It is going to be a GREAT day off tomorrow. I am really looking forward to it.
In Austin I will not only see Georganne again, who I haven't seen in 20 years, but I will also have a day off (my first since Phoenix, AZ). Let's get to the ride...
I went from heat to wind. Winds were gusting to 25 miles/hr from the north. Guess which way I was going? The whole trip was slow and windy. I left Blanco at 7:15 am and made Austin by 11:30 am. I got good directions to the bike shop and heading there first. I had my rack replaced and put panniers on the bike. I hope this will solve my problems.
An interesting thing happened after I left the bike shop. I called some of the motels that the ACA recommends on the maps. I called the first one but it was booked for both nights. The second had a phone number that no longer worked. I finally got through to the third one. They quoted a price of $90 for both nights. I looked at the map and rode over there. When I got there I asked the girl behind the counter for a non-smoking room. She said, "That's ok, they don't smell." I said, "No, I want a non-smoking room please." She just gave me a blank stare. I knew something was up. Then I went to pay. I pulled out my credit card and she told me that they only take cash. Just then her mom came into the office. They had a conversation and FINALLY I paid and got the key to my room.
You should have seen this room. It looked like the WORST broken down room you ever saw. There was a TV but no remote control. There was no rug and the floor was stained from some unknown substance. I said to myself, "I am NOT staying here". I made a call to 'Information' and asked for hotel phone numbers. Within 10 minutes I was out of there. I gave the girl a story about a sudden 'family' emergency and she bought it and gave me my money back. Hey, I don't recommend lying but in those times, you gotta do what you gotta do.
I ended up the night at the Days Inn with a really nice room and this computer to update the blog. Georganne is coming to town tonight and said that she wants to meet with me for dinner. It is going to be a GREAT day off tomorrow. I am really looking forward to it.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Day 23 - Kerrville, TX to Blanco, TX (Hot, Hot, Hot)
Miles Today: 63.07; Total Miles: 1600.0
I am officially half way through my trip!
I started out this morning waiting in front of the Kerrville Bike Shop. The shop opened at 10 am but I was there at 9:12 am. I had 60+ miles to do today so I was just hoping that the shop owner would see me out front and let me in early. That didn't happen.
When 10 o'clock rolled around he opened his door for business. I told him about my problems and he went to work on my bike. He found 2 brackets to replace mine and started assembling them. As we were chatting, he noticed that one of the vertical bars of my rack was bent. I then told him that I should replace the whole darn thing instead of just the brackets. Unfortunately, he did not carry the size that I wanted so I decided to take a chance and try to get to Austin before anything catastrophic happened. I was sure that Austin would have a better selection of racks there. He finished fixing my brackets and tightened all of my bolts.
I ended up leaving Kerrville at 11:16 am. I was used to starting at 7 am so I was just hoping that I could make Blanco before dark.
Can you say, "Hot, HOt, HOT?" It just so happened that today reached a record high of 92 degrees! I put on my sunscreen but left my shirt on so my body would not get burned too badly. I worried a little bit about the rack but because all of the bolts were tightened, I did not hear any squeeking anymore. This kind of put my mind at ease.
I started looking around again as my mind was not consumed with my problems. I continued through Texas Hill Country and saw a lot of deer, bulls, and billy goats. It was a beautiful ride with great countryside. I even traversed the Guadalope River several times.
This was also the day that everyone was waving at me. I had people driving towards me waving at me, people in the river saying hi and waving, and cars beeping at me (in a nice way). I guess the nice weather brings out the good in people...or, they just think I'm crazy to be riding my bike in this weather.
Also, I am really meeting a lot of people that are asking what I'm doing. I am answering the same questions over and over but the general feeling is that everyone thinks it is really cool and they wish they could do it too.
When I finally arrived in Blanco I stopped at one of the local gas stations. I got to talking to the girl behind the counter. She was another person that took interest in my story. I ended up eating a pizza at the gas station and having 2 bottles of Gatorade and an Iced Tea. It felt really good to be in the air conditioning and I was just eating it up (no pun intended).
I am officially half way through my trip!
I started out this morning waiting in front of the Kerrville Bike Shop. The shop opened at 10 am but I was there at 9:12 am. I had 60+ miles to do today so I was just hoping that the shop owner would see me out front and let me in early. That didn't happen.
When 10 o'clock rolled around he opened his door for business. I told him about my problems and he went to work on my bike. He found 2 brackets to replace mine and started assembling them. As we were chatting, he noticed that one of the vertical bars of my rack was bent. I then told him that I should replace the whole darn thing instead of just the brackets. Unfortunately, he did not carry the size that I wanted so I decided to take a chance and try to get to Austin before anything catastrophic happened. I was sure that Austin would have a better selection of racks there. He finished fixing my brackets and tightened all of my bolts.
I ended up leaving Kerrville at 11:16 am. I was used to starting at 7 am so I was just hoping that I could make Blanco before dark.
Can you say, "Hot, HOt, HOT?" It just so happened that today reached a record high of 92 degrees! I put on my sunscreen but left my shirt on so my body would not get burned too badly. I worried a little bit about the rack but because all of the bolts were tightened, I did not hear any squeeking anymore. This kind of put my mind at ease.
I started looking around again as my mind was not consumed with my problems. I continued through Texas Hill Country and saw a lot of deer, bulls, and billy goats. It was a beautiful ride with great countryside. I even traversed the Guadalope River several times.
This was also the day that everyone was waving at me. I had people driving towards me waving at me, people in the river saying hi and waving, and cars beeping at me (in a nice way). I guess the nice weather brings out the good in people...or, they just think I'm crazy to be riding my bike in this weather.
Also, I am really meeting a lot of people that are asking what I'm doing. I am answering the same questions over and over but the general feeling is that everyone thinks it is really cool and they wish they could do it too.
When I finally arrived in Blanco I stopped at one of the local gas stations. I got to talking to the girl behind the counter. She was another person that took interest in my story. I ended up eating a pizza at the gas station and having 2 bottles of Gatorade and an Iced Tea. It felt really good to be in the air conditioning and I was just eating it up (no pun intended).
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Day 22 - Leakey, TX to Kerrville, TX (Rack Troubles Continue)
Miles Today: 68.18; Total Miles: 1534.4
What a day I had. I got really lucky today. I left Leakey at a little after 7 am with my patched up back rack (it still had the duct tape on it). I knew that Kerrville had a bike shop and I could get my broken bracket replaced so I was just praying for a nice smooth road that would take me there without any problems. This did not happen.
The first road out of the town had a 6 mile stretch that was under construction. There was actually no road, just dirt and a whole lot of rocks (actually boulders). I said to myself, "I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS!" I tried to be as careful as I could, riding as slowly as I could, but my bike was bouncing up and down and within 4 miles of the start I snapped another bolt on the rack. Luckily, I am carrying a bag full of bolts with me so I was able to extract the remaining part of the bolt from the bike and put on a new one. I would like to say that this was the end of my troubles but they continued.
As I reached about the 25 mile mark I stopped riding for a drink of Gatorade and a quick break (I like to take them every 10 miles or so just to refresh myself). I picked a nice shady spot off the road to take my break. As I was drinking a couple that was doing the same 'Southern Tier' from east to west approached me going the other way (of course). Their names were John and Karen Poole. This couple were VERY experienced bikers and have done the cross-country trip before. They were so nice. They stopped and wanted to take a picture of me with my 'garbage can' bike. I, in turn, took a picture of them too. We then got to talking. Even before I mentioned the problems I was having with the rack, John mentioned that the height of the can would cause stress on the rack and possibly cause it to fail. He said that I should get panniers (those saddle bags that go on either side of the rear wheel). He said that the panniers have a lower center of gravity and would not cause the stress. I then told him that I had bolts breaking left and right. I said at this point I would seriously consider changing to the panniers.
Then, as we were talking Karen pulled out maps of Kerrville and Austin and asked me if I wanted them. They had just been through there and did not need them anymore. I was excited to have more maps and accepted them. Then, John started telling me that the bike I purchased was one of the best touring bikes that were made. I didn't know that but was very excited to hear it. The reason I got the Trek 520 was only because I read a lot of blogs from people that have previously done the route and it sounded like the bike to get.
We started to share some of the stories of our trip. I told John of some of the bike problems that I encountered and mentioned that I almost burned out my brakes coming down some of the hills in California. With that John goes into his panniers and pulls out his tools. He ended up tightening up my front and back brakes for me right on the side of the road. I could not believe the generosity of these people. They even offered me food. However, even though I was starving, I felt like they bought the food for themselves so I just told them that I was ok with food and left it at that. I said goodbye and wished them luck.
Then, within the next 5 miles my bracket totally broke off. I got to the side of the road and had to unload the garbage can and then duct tape the rack to the bar that holds my seat. This made me EXTREMELY nervous and I just hoped that I could make it to Kerrville and the bike shop there before the bike came apart at the seams. Oh, I forgot to mention that John said the bike shop in Kerrville was really good but it was closed today (Sunday). I would have to get the bike fixed on Monday. They opened at 10 am.
The rest of the ride was ok until about 7 miles to go. That is when my duct tape failed. I decided to use some bungie cords to keep it all together. I finally made Kerrville at 4:30 pm. It was a LONG day and I know that I have to get the rack fixed as soon as possible.
What a day I had. I got really lucky today. I left Leakey at a little after 7 am with my patched up back rack (it still had the duct tape on it). I knew that Kerrville had a bike shop and I could get my broken bracket replaced so I was just praying for a nice smooth road that would take me there without any problems. This did not happen.
The first road out of the town had a 6 mile stretch that was under construction. There was actually no road, just dirt and a whole lot of rocks (actually boulders). I said to myself, "I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS!" I tried to be as careful as I could, riding as slowly as I could, but my bike was bouncing up and down and within 4 miles of the start I snapped another bolt on the rack. Luckily, I am carrying a bag full of bolts with me so I was able to extract the remaining part of the bolt from the bike and put on a new one. I would like to say that this was the end of my troubles but they continued.
As I reached about the 25 mile mark I stopped riding for a drink of Gatorade and a quick break (I like to take them every 10 miles or so just to refresh myself). I picked a nice shady spot off the road to take my break. As I was drinking a couple that was doing the same 'Southern Tier' from east to west approached me going the other way (of course). Their names were John and Karen Poole. This couple were VERY experienced bikers and have done the cross-country trip before. They were so nice. They stopped and wanted to take a picture of me with my 'garbage can' bike. I, in turn, took a picture of them too. We then got to talking. Even before I mentioned the problems I was having with the rack, John mentioned that the height of the can would cause stress on the rack and possibly cause it to fail. He said that I should get panniers (those saddle bags that go on either side of the rear wheel). He said that the panniers have a lower center of gravity and would not cause the stress. I then told him that I had bolts breaking left and right. I said at this point I would seriously consider changing to the panniers.
Then, as we were talking Karen pulled out maps of Kerrville and Austin and asked me if I wanted them. They had just been through there and did not need them anymore. I was excited to have more maps and accepted them. Then, John started telling me that the bike I purchased was one of the best touring bikes that were made. I didn't know that but was very excited to hear it. The reason I got the Trek 520 was only because I read a lot of blogs from people that have previously done the route and it sounded like the bike to get.
We started to share some of the stories of our trip. I told John of some of the bike problems that I encountered and mentioned that I almost burned out my brakes coming down some of the hills in California. With that John goes into his panniers and pulls out his tools. He ended up tightening up my front and back brakes for me right on the side of the road. I could not believe the generosity of these people. They even offered me food. However, even though I was starving, I felt like they bought the food for themselves so I just told them that I was ok with food and left it at that. I said goodbye and wished them luck.
Then, within the next 5 miles my bracket totally broke off. I got to the side of the road and had to unload the garbage can and then duct tape the rack to the bar that holds my seat. This made me EXTREMELY nervous and I just hoped that I could make it to Kerrville and the bike shop there before the bike came apart at the seams. Oh, I forgot to mention that John said the bike shop in Kerrville was really good but it was closed today (Sunday). I would have to get the bike fixed on Monday. They opened at 10 am.
The rest of the ride was ok until about 7 miles to go. That is when my duct tape failed. I decided to use some bungie cords to keep it all together. I finally made Kerrville at 4:30 pm. It was a LONG day and I know that I have to get the rack fixed as soon as possible.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Day 21 - Brackettville, TX to Leakey, TX (Breaking Rack)
Miles Today: 71.98; Total Miles: 1466.3
Today I rode with Kevin whom I met in the RV Park on Day 20 (see blog). As I was finishing up my blog that day, Kevin asked me if I wanted to ride with him the next day. I thought it would be fun and accepted.
We started out our ride in a strong headwind...man, that tires you out quickly. Kevin was a more experienced biker than me (with thousands of miles on his bike) and his pace was a little faster. He is also doing this trip across the country along with his wife who is following him in a camper and is taking all of his equipment with her so Kevin is only carrying a light load. I, on the other hand, am carrying about 45-50 lbs of weight with me so I had a hard time keeping up with him.
I had some trouble today with my rack on the back of the bike. Apparently, the garbage can that I am carrying with all of my camping equipment and clothes is causing the rack to periodically break bolts. The weight distribution of the garbage can design is causing too high of a center of gravity and is causing the rack to sway back and forth from side to side. This stressed the brackets that were holding the rack and caused bolts to break and a bracket to snap today. I did the best I could to splint the break with a tire lever and duct tape it together. This fixed the problem for today but is not the best solution. I was worried about it the rest of the day but did not have any further problems. All I was thinking was, "I hope this holds because if it doesn't I will be out here with no way to get my stuff to my next destination."
That day was the start of the Texas Hill Country and was filled with beautiful sites and a whole lot of hills. Unfortunately, because of my problems with the bike I was more worried about the bike and I missed a lot of the sites. The most exciting thing that happened today was that I was hissed at by a live armadillo. At first I thought it was a rattle snake but was pleasantly surprised when I saw him. Kevin stopped and took his picture.
When I finally arrived in Leakey I got a room at the motel and had a wonderful dinner at the attached restaurant. This town had such a nice family atmosphere that I calmed down and really enjoyed my night there.
Today I rode with Kevin whom I met in the RV Park on Day 20 (see blog). As I was finishing up my blog that day, Kevin asked me if I wanted to ride with him the next day. I thought it would be fun and accepted.
We started out our ride in a strong headwind...man, that tires you out quickly. Kevin was a more experienced biker than me (with thousands of miles on his bike) and his pace was a little faster. He is also doing this trip across the country along with his wife who is following him in a camper and is taking all of his equipment with her so Kevin is only carrying a light load. I, on the other hand, am carrying about 45-50 lbs of weight with me so I had a hard time keeping up with him.
I had some trouble today with my rack on the back of the bike. Apparently, the garbage can that I am carrying with all of my camping equipment and clothes is causing the rack to periodically break bolts. The weight distribution of the garbage can design is causing too high of a center of gravity and is causing the rack to sway back and forth from side to side. This stressed the brackets that were holding the rack and caused bolts to break and a bracket to snap today. I did the best I could to splint the break with a tire lever and duct tape it together. This fixed the problem for today but is not the best solution. I was worried about it the rest of the day but did not have any further problems. All I was thinking was, "I hope this holds because if it doesn't I will be out here with no way to get my stuff to my next destination."
That day was the start of the Texas Hill Country and was filled with beautiful sites and a whole lot of hills. Unfortunately, because of my problems with the bike I was more worried about the bike and I missed a lot of the sites. The most exciting thing that happened today was that I was hissed at by a live armadillo. At first I thought it was a rattle snake but was pleasantly surprised when I saw him. Kevin stopped and took his picture.
When I finally arrived in Leakey I got a room at the motel and had a wonderful dinner at the attached restaurant. This town had such a nice family atmosphere that I calmed down and really enjoyed my night there.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Day 20 - Comstock, TX to Brackettville, TX (Short But Sweet)
Miles Today: 65.97; Total Miles: 1390.9
I decided to cut back my mileage to give my body a little rest. It had been a solid week of close to century mileage so I knew my body needs a rest. I am planning on riding short mileage until I make it to Austin, TX where I will be reunited with one of my college friends Georganne who I haven't seen for about 20 years. She lives about 3 1/2 hours north of Austin and said that she would make the trip there to see me. I am really looking forward to seeing her too. I had previously planned to take a day off there so I think that will be VERY nice to have someone there to hang out with.
Today was a VERY easy ride. I stopped in Del Rio at the local IHOP for breakfast. I had to laugh because I ordered six french toasts, a spinach-mushroom omelet, and hash browns. The waitress was a little taken back by my BIG order. She said, "Do you want a smaller order of French Toast?" I said, "No, I am happy with what I ordered, Thanks" She was in disbelief. When she brought the order she jokingly said, "Do you want anything else?" I said, "No, I'm fine."
After I devoured my food I explained to her that I was biking across the country and was burning between 5 - 6,000 calories/day. She thought that was really cool. She asked my name, introduced herself, and shook my hand like I was someone special. She also told a lot of the employees what I was doing. I had people smiling at me and saying, "Good luck" until I left. I have to say that this has been the normal reaction when I tell my story. It is kind of nice.
Anyway, I arrived in Bracketville looking for their motel. The only motel, I found out, was booked for an event over the weekend. Luckily, there was an RV Park right by the motel. When I got to the office it was closed. I asked another resident/vacationer, Marlis, if and when the office would be open. She directed me to the lady that ran the place who was sitting in her own RV. I paid my $10 for the campsite which was down the road. I asked Shirley, the lady at the office, if the campsite had showers. She told me that I was NOT allowed to use the hot showers at the RV Park but I could use the cold showers at the campsite. Well, Marlis overheard her say that. Marlis waited until I was done with Shirley and stopped me and said that I could be a guest of hers and use the hot showers. She told me to park my bike at their trailer and just use them. Of course I took her up on the offer.
Then, as I was talking with Marlis and her husband Mike at their trailer, a 13 year resident and a friend of theirs pulls up on his golf cart and says that I can stay in his RV for the night. It has a double bed, TV, and an outlet for recharging my phone and iPod. Can't believe my luck!
I told Marlis that I had a blog and she offered up her laptop for me so that is why I am able to blog right now. I'll tell you, some nice people in Texas.
Oh, just a side note. I just met another biker going across the country named Kevin. He is riding alone and his wife, Susan, is following or leading in their camper. They have their 2 big dogs along for the ride. Kevin just stopped in while I was blogging and asked if I wanted to ride with him tomorrow. I am going to be heading out with him about 7:30ish. I will let you know how it goes.
I decided to cut back my mileage to give my body a little rest. It had been a solid week of close to century mileage so I knew my body needs a rest. I am planning on riding short mileage until I make it to Austin, TX where I will be reunited with one of my college friends Georganne who I haven't seen for about 20 years. She lives about 3 1/2 hours north of Austin and said that she would make the trip there to see me. I am really looking forward to seeing her too. I had previously planned to take a day off there so I think that will be VERY nice to have someone there to hang out with.
Today was a VERY easy ride. I stopped in Del Rio at the local IHOP for breakfast. I had to laugh because I ordered six french toasts, a spinach-mushroom omelet, and hash browns. The waitress was a little taken back by my BIG order. She said, "Do you want a smaller order of French Toast?" I said, "No, I am happy with what I ordered, Thanks" She was in disbelief. When she brought the order she jokingly said, "Do you want anything else?" I said, "No, I'm fine."
After I devoured my food I explained to her that I was biking across the country and was burning between 5 - 6,000 calories/day. She thought that was really cool. She asked my name, introduced herself, and shook my hand like I was someone special. She also told a lot of the employees what I was doing. I had people smiling at me and saying, "Good luck" until I left. I have to say that this has been the normal reaction when I tell my story. It is kind of nice.
Anyway, I arrived in Bracketville looking for their motel. The only motel, I found out, was booked for an event over the weekend. Luckily, there was an RV Park right by the motel. When I got to the office it was closed. I asked another resident/vacationer, Marlis, if and when the office would be open. She directed me to the lady that ran the place who was sitting in her own RV. I paid my $10 for the campsite which was down the road. I asked Shirley, the lady at the office, if the campsite had showers. She told me that I was NOT allowed to use the hot showers at the RV Park but I could use the cold showers at the campsite. Well, Marlis overheard her say that. Marlis waited until I was done with Shirley and stopped me and said that I could be a guest of hers and use the hot showers. She told me to park my bike at their trailer and just use them. Of course I took her up on the offer.
Then, as I was talking with Marlis and her husband Mike at their trailer, a 13 year resident and a friend of theirs pulls up on his golf cart and says that I can stay in his RV for the night. It has a double bed, TV, and an outlet for recharging my phone and iPod. Can't believe my luck!
I told Marlis that I had a blog and she offered up her laptop for me so that is why I am able to blog right now. I'll tell you, some nice people in Texas.
Oh, just a side note. I just met another biker going across the country named Kevin. He is riding alone and his wife, Susan, is following or leading in their camper. They have their 2 big dogs along for the ride. Kevin just stopped in while I was blogging and asked if I wanted to ride with him tomorrow. I am going to be heading out with him about 7:30ish. I will let you know how it goes.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Day 19 - Sanderson, TX to Comstock, TX (No Shower?)
Miles Today: 92.03; Total Miles: 1324.9
This was a day to remember. This was one of those days where all your plans get thrown out the door and you do with what you have.
I started out this day with a plan to stop in Dryden at the 20 mile mark. When I got to Dryden it was all 'Dry-ed up'. Nothing there but a few broken down buildings with 'For Sale' signs up. It looked like the only place that was working was the Grocery Store/Post Office building. Unfortunately for me it opened at 9 am and I arrived at 8:30 am.
I decided to eat an entire Powerbar and push on to the next town. At this point I need to remind you that I am not a breakfast eater. I just thought that I would get some food 'fuel' when I arrived in this town. Ok, so the next town with a restaurant was at the 61.5 mile mark so I had a ways to go before I could eat something substantial.
I motored on to Langtry (the previously said 'restaurant' town). Langtry was nothing more than a hole in the wall. The only food that I could scrounge up there was a bag of chips and 2 ice cream sandwiches. Now there's a good meal! I continued on...
As I approached Comstock I saw that the map gives no motels available. As far as the campsites there were 2. One was 8 miles to the west; it was the Seminole Historical State Park, but it was too far out for me. I decided to pass that one along the road and stay at an RV Park about 1.3 miles west of Comstock. When I arrived there I was informed that this campsite had no bathrooms and no showers! I couldn't believe my luck. I was so tired and hungry at this point that I just resolved myself to my fate.
I asked the owner if there was a restaurant in town. He said that the only restaurant was run out of Judy's house. It was 1.3 miles to the east (in Comstock). He called her and she said that she was going to close at 3 pm today because she had to pick up her kids at school. I checked my watch and it was 2:03. I was in luck.
She was a very nice lady and made me one of the biggest cheeseburgers I have every had. I also had french fries with that. When I told her that I might want more she scoffed at me and said that once I ate her hamburger I would not want anything else and would probably want to go to bed right away.
Needless to say, after the cheeseburger I had an additional 6 chicken strips! She obviously didn't know how hungry I was. I had not had anything but a powerbar, bag of chips, and a couple of ice cream sandwiches. That's not much when you do 92 miles.
After my eating thing, I went back to the campsite. I talked with the owner of the place and let him know that I was biking across the country. I guess he took pity on this city slicker because he said he talked to his wife and it was ok if I wanted to take a shower in his house (right on the property). YOU GOTTA LOVE IT!
I had a very nice sleep in my tent and was ready for another day of riding...starting at 7 am.
This was a day to remember. This was one of those days where all your plans get thrown out the door and you do with what you have.
I started out this day with a plan to stop in Dryden at the 20 mile mark. When I got to Dryden it was all 'Dry-ed up'. Nothing there but a few broken down buildings with 'For Sale' signs up. It looked like the only place that was working was the Grocery Store/Post Office building. Unfortunately for me it opened at 9 am and I arrived at 8:30 am.
I decided to eat an entire Powerbar and push on to the next town. At this point I need to remind you that I am not a breakfast eater. I just thought that I would get some food 'fuel' when I arrived in this town. Ok, so the next town with a restaurant was at the 61.5 mile mark so I had a ways to go before I could eat something substantial.
I motored on to Langtry (the previously said 'restaurant' town). Langtry was nothing more than a hole in the wall. The only food that I could scrounge up there was a bag of chips and 2 ice cream sandwiches. Now there's a good meal! I continued on...
As I approached Comstock I saw that the map gives no motels available. As far as the campsites there were 2. One was 8 miles to the west; it was the Seminole Historical State Park, but it was too far out for me. I decided to pass that one along the road and stay at an RV Park about 1.3 miles west of Comstock. When I arrived there I was informed that this campsite had no bathrooms and no showers! I couldn't believe my luck. I was so tired and hungry at this point that I just resolved myself to my fate.
I asked the owner if there was a restaurant in town. He said that the only restaurant was run out of Judy's house. It was 1.3 miles to the east (in Comstock). He called her and she said that she was going to close at 3 pm today because she had to pick up her kids at school. I checked my watch and it was 2:03. I was in luck.
She was a very nice lady and made me one of the biggest cheeseburgers I have every had. I also had french fries with that. When I told her that I might want more she scoffed at me and said that once I ate her hamburger I would not want anything else and would probably want to go to bed right away.
Needless to say, after the cheeseburger I had an additional 6 chicken strips! She obviously didn't know how hungry I was. I had not had anything but a powerbar, bag of chips, and a couple of ice cream sandwiches. That's not much when you do 92 miles.
After my eating thing, I went back to the campsite. I talked with the owner of the place and let him know that I was biking across the country. I guess he took pity on this city slicker because he said he talked to his wife and it was ok if I wanted to take a shower in his house (right on the property). YOU GOTTA LOVE IT!
I had a very nice sleep in my tent and was ready for another day of riding...starting at 7 am.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Day 18 - Ft. Davis, TX to Sanderson, TX (Downhill)
Miles Today: 108.03; Total Miles: 1232.9
I decided to do 108 miles today because the terrain was mostly downhill. This was my first century of the trip! I started at approximately 7 am and made it to Sanderson by 3:30 pm.
It was a very nice ride through some lovely countryside. I saw many wild animals during this stretch. Again it was hot but because of the earlier sunburn that I encountered, I decided to keep my shirt on this time. Unfortunately, I just deepened the burns on my arms. It's not a pretty site.
I rode through Alpine and Marathon, TX and finally arrived in Sanderson where I only paid $30.99 for my motel room (with AAA). I was overjoyed at my great find until the guys checked in to the room right next to me. I realized that the walls were made of paper and I could hear everything that they were saying. They decided to have a few buddies over that night.
I went to sleep with the TV turned up really loud to drown them out. All I can say is that I must have been exhausted because I didn't wake up all night.
I decided to do 108 miles today because the terrain was mostly downhill. This was my first century of the trip! I started at approximately 7 am and made it to Sanderson by 3:30 pm.
It was a very nice ride through some lovely countryside. I saw many wild animals during this stretch. Again it was hot but because of the earlier sunburn that I encountered, I decided to keep my shirt on this time. Unfortunately, I just deepened the burns on my arms. It's not a pretty site.
I rode through Alpine and Marathon, TX and finally arrived in Sanderson where I only paid $30.99 for my motel room (with AAA). I was overjoyed at my great find until the guys checked in to the room right next to me. I realized that the walls were made of paper and I could hear everything that they were saying. They decided to have a few buddies over that night.
I went to sleep with the TV turned up really loud to drown them out. All I can say is that I must have been exhausted because I didn't wake up all night.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Day 17 - Van Horn, TX to Ft. Davis, TX (It was a LONG hot day)
Miles Today: 90.86; Total Miles: 1124.9
I started off that day with some more I-10 riding. As I said before I really liked that. The only scary part of that stretch was that there was a construction zone where I had to go onto the highway to go around. This is a problem because I have been leaving so early in the morning that it was pitch dark and I was a little scared that the traffic would not see me. I'm still here so you know it turned out ok.
While on the highway I had to go through another Border Patrol Inspection Station. Unlike the one in AZ, the guy was just waving everyone through. That was nice because I didn't even have to stop pedalling.
After my I-10 part, I got on this lonely road for the rest of the 90 miles. This was long and hot. I saw deer, javelinas (they look like miniature wild bores), and a dead coyote. I took off my shirt while I was riding because the temperature was in the 70s - bad idea. I got a mean back sunburn. I told my mom that I have the strangest tan (burn) lines on my body. I have a farmers tan, my whole back is burned, and my face is tan but my forehead and bald spot are white because I am wearing a skull cap. Ya have to laugh...
When I finally got to Ft. Davis I was exhausted. I think the heat and the wind was really getting to me. The last 30 miles I kept checking the odometer and it didn't seem to be working. When I got to Ft. Davis I stayed in a really nice motel that was like a vacation/tourist resort. Management was renovating for the tourist season. He let me stay there for $52.99. I was the only person staying there that night. I had a bedroom, bathroom, full kitchen, and a living room. There were 2 flat screen TVs also. One was in the living room and the other was in the bedroom. I decided to do my laundry in the sink that night and lay out all of my clothes all over the place since I had so much privacy. It worked out great.
I started off that day with some more I-10 riding. As I said before I really liked that. The only scary part of that stretch was that there was a construction zone where I had to go onto the highway to go around. This is a problem because I have been leaving so early in the morning that it was pitch dark and I was a little scared that the traffic would not see me. I'm still here so you know it turned out ok.
While on the highway I had to go through another Border Patrol Inspection Station. Unlike the one in AZ, the guy was just waving everyone through. That was nice because I didn't even have to stop pedalling.
After my I-10 part, I got on this lonely road for the rest of the 90 miles. This was long and hot. I saw deer, javelinas (they look like miniature wild bores), and a dead coyote. I took off my shirt while I was riding because the temperature was in the 70s - bad idea. I got a mean back sunburn. I told my mom that I have the strangest tan (burn) lines on my body. I have a farmers tan, my whole back is burned, and my face is tan but my forehead and bald spot are white because I am wearing a skull cap. Ya have to laugh...
When I finally got to Ft. Davis I was exhausted. I think the heat and the wind was really getting to me. The last 30 miles I kept checking the odometer and it didn't seem to be working. When I got to Ft. Davis I stayed in a really nice motel that was like a vacation/tourist resort. Management was renovating for the tourist season. He let me stay there for $52.99. I was the only person staying there that night. I had a bedroom, bathroom, full kitchen, and a living room. There were 2 flat screen TVs also. One was in the living room and the other was in the bedroom. I decided to do my laundry in the sink that night and lay out all of my clothes all over the place since I had so much privacy. It worked out great.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Day 16 - Fabens, TX to Van Horn, TX (Riding on I-10)
Miles Today: 97.94; Total Miles: 1034.0
Today's the day I rode over the 1000 mile mark!
My plan was to start doing more days of close to 100 miles because Texas is so long that I just wanted to get through it from a mental standpoint. The Texas route covers 1080 miles so it is literally 1/3 of the trip.
I rode about 60 miles on I-10. The maps have the riders ride on a frontage road right next to I-10 but because of the condition of the frontage road I decided to stay on I-10. This was possible because the road just parallels the highway. I also like riding on the interstate because I like when the trucks go by and give me a little push. Plus, the shoulder is sooo much smoother than any of the side roads.
I stopped for lunch in Sierra Blanca and called mom. That night I stayed in the Motel 6 paying only $42.99 with my AAA membership which I LOVED. Got some Pizza Hut that night so I was feeling pretty good.
Today's the day I rode over the 1000 mile mark!
My plan was to start doing more days of close to 100 miles because Texas is so long that I just wanted to get through it from a mental standpoint. The Texas route covers 1080 miles so it is literally 1/3 of the trip.
I rode about 60 miles on I-10. The maps have the riders ride on a frontage road right next to I-10 but because of the condition of the frontage road I decided to stay on I-10. This was possible because the road just parallels the highway. I also like riding on the interstate because I like when the trucks go by and give me a little push. Plus, the shoulder is sooo much smoother than any of the side roads.
I stopped for lunch in Sierra Blanca and called mom. That night I stayed in the Motel 6 paying only $42.99 with my AAA membership which I LOVED. Got some Pizza Hut that night so I was feeling pretty good.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Day 15 - Las Cruces, NM to Fabens, TX (Which Way?)
Miles Today: 79.37; Total Miles: 936.1
This is the day I entered Texas. I spent the morning riding for my life trying to get away from dogs. I must have outrun maybe 7 dogs! I actually carry a product called 'Halt!' that is pretty much pepper spray. It is sold in bike stores. They say that the Postal workers also use it. Well, fortunately I have not had to use it. I was able to outrun the dogs to this point although I have to say I had some close calls.
I travelled through El Paso. All I remember about that town is that it was a very long stretch through a lot of street lights. I kept asking people along the road for directions because I HATE having to backtrack. Unfortunately, I took a wrong turn because of a road closure and detours. Luckily, I didn't get too far off track though.
After El Paso I ended up at the Fabens Inn in Fabens, TX. It was a small motel but nice. Where else would the Fabens Inn be anyway?
This is the day I entered Texas. I spent the morning riding for my life trying to get away from dogs. I must have outrun maybe 7 dogs! I actually carry a product called 'Halt!' that is pretty much pepper spray. It is sold in bike stores. They say that the Postal workers also use it. Well, fortunately I have not had to use it. I was able to outrun the dogs to this point although I have to say I had some close calls.
I travelled through El Paso. All I remember about that town is that it was a very long stretch through a lot of street lights. I kept asking people along the road for directions because I HATE having to backtrack. Unfortunately, I took a wrong turn because of a road closure and detours. Luckily, I didn't get too far off track though.
After El Paso I ended up at the Fabens Inn in Fabens, TX. It was a small motel but nice. Where else would the Fabens Inn be anyway?
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Day 14 - Hillsboro, NM to Las Cruces, NM (Downhill)
Miles Today: 81.20; Total Miles: 856.7
Today was pretty easy. It was all downhill. Nothing exciting happened. In Arrey, NM, I stopped for breakfast and finally reached my mom on my cell phone. I wished her a happy birthday and caught her up on my last day's travels. I just cruised into Las Cruces. I had the bike shop lube up my bike. I was also able to spend an hour and a half updating my blog for you fine people. I am anticipating leaving New Mexico for Texas tomorrow.
Today was pretty easy. It was all downhill. Nothing exciting happened. In Arrey, NM, I stopped for breakfast and finally reached my mom on my cell phone. I wished her a happy birthday and caught her up on my last day's travels. I just cruised into Las Cruces. I had the bike shop lube up my bike. I was also able to spend an hour and a half updating my blog for you fine people. I am anticipating leaving New Mexico for Texas tomorrow.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Day 13 - Silver City, NM to Hillsboro, NM (Snow?)
Miles Today: 56.55; Total Miles: 775.5
I talked to my mom (my weather lady) and she told me that Silver City and the surrounding areas were expecting snow that night. She told me to watch the weather reports closely and not go anywhere if there is going to be snow. My first thought was that I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible to avoid the snow. Silver City is on a mountain and I knew that if I was there when it started snowing, I might be stuck there for a couple days.
Joe left early in the morning for his flight home and I left about a half hour after that. The weather report said that the snow and rain was expected at about 11 am. I raced out of there at 6:44 am. I thought that maybe I could out run the thing. Well, I did avoid the rain and snow but something happened that I didn't expect. It was VERY COLD!
This day took me over Emory Pass. This is a mountain pass with the highest elevation of my trip (8,228 ft). I started up the hill in the morning. Because of the constant hill I was climbing it was slow and FREEZING. My plan was to make Hatch, NM which was 90 miles away but when I got to Hillboro about 56 miles in I was so cold that I decided to stop there for the night. The motel I stayed at had something to be desired. There was no phone and 2 channels on the TV. Also, my cell phone did not have coverage so I knew my mom would be worried.
I arrived at 12:30 pm and had lunch. After lunch I went to the motel and fell asleep until 5:15 pm. I went outside and looked for a nice restaurant to have dinner. Little did I know that the whole town closed at 3 pm. It was not my day. I was just hoping that I would not be snowed in in this town.
That night around 9 the rain came and then the snow soon after. The snow covered the ground but not the street. I thought that I HAD to get out of this town and get to lower elevation to avoid any more snow.
I talked to my mom (my weather lady) and she told me that Silver City and the surrounding areas were expecting snow that night. She told me to watch the weather reports closely and not go anywhere if there is going to be snow. My first thought was that I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible to avoid the snow. Silver City is on a mountain and I knew that if I was there when it started snowing, I might be stuck there for a couple days.
Joe left early in the morning for his flight home and I left about a half hour after that. The weather report said that the snow and rain was expected at about 11 am. I raced out of there at 6:44 am. I thought that maybe I could out run the thing. Well, I did avoid the rain and snow but something happened that I didn't expect. It was VERY COLD!
This day took me over Emory Pass. This is a mountain pass with the highest elevation of my trip (8,228 ft). I started up the hill in the morning. Because of the constant hill I was climbing it was slow and FREEZING. My plan was to make Hatch, NM which was 90 miles away but when I got to Hillboro about 56 miles in I was so cold that I decided to stop there for the night. The motel I stayed at had something to be desired. There was no phone and 2 channels on the TV. Also, my cell phone did not have coverage so I knew my mom would be worried.
I arrived at 12:30 pm and had lunch. After lunch I went to the motel and fell asleep until 5:15 pm. I went outside and looked for a nice restaurant to have dinner. Little did I know that the whole town closed at 3 pm. It was not my day. I was just hoping that I would not be snowed in in this town.
That night around 9 the rain came and then the snow soon after. The snow covered the ground but not the street. I thought that I HAD to get out of this town and get to lower elevation to avoid any more snow.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Day 12 - Three Way, AZ to Silver City, NM (Where Did New Mexico Come From?)
Miles Today: 84.92; Total Miles: 718.9
Ok, we have to make Silver City because Joe's flight leaves tomorrow morning.
The day started off with some KILLER climbs that left me gasping for breath and Joe walking and biking most of the time. I told Joe that I really wanted to try to climb this mountain pass so I went ahead of him. I would periodically stop along the way and wait for Joe. To traverse the Pass you had to go up a series of switchbacks. This was great because as I was climbing I could see Joe making his way up. It was a VERY tough climb but Joe and I made it up in record time (if that record is for the slowest ascent). On the other side of the mountain we found New Mexico - I was wondering where that was. We stopped to take our pictures in front of the sign. One day I will get that picture up but for now you just have to imagine it.
After we got into New Mexico the terrain really changed. It went from all of these brown, jagged, beautiful mountains with lots of shadows to softer looking mountains with high, haylike grass that blew in the wind. From a riding perspective we were riding directly into a strong headwind. Joe wanted to draft off of me and save his energy for the mileage. He kept saying how great it was to be out of the wind. For me, it wasn't so great. The wind totally drained me. The terrain was a series of humpback hills and mostly flat but I felt like they were some VERY hard miles.
We decided to stop in Buckhorn, NM for lunch at a place called the 'Last Chance Liquor' place or something like that. It was just a grocery store and restaurant with a catchy name. The lady there was very nice and when our cell phones did not work, she let us use her phone to call ahead to the hotel and bike shop. We spent about an hour and a half in there and had lunch.
Before we got to Buckhorn I was feeling drained but after I was ready for some more miles. I guess a little food energizes me. Luckily for us the wind had died down so the rest of the ride was not as tough. With about 10 miles left before reaching Silver City we both started to get ancy so mentally it got really tough.
We were happy to arrive at the hotel and ordered some Dominos which is ALWAYS a good idea in my book. I fell asleep soon after but Joe had to box up his bike for the flight home so he said that he got to sleep about 1 am.
This was the last day of my trip with Joe. I hated that he was leaving tomorrow. I had such a great time with him. Joe is an amazing person and I am so glad that I know him. Lorie, you said that I was the most determined person you met. You have not met Joe. He came into this trip without much training and gritted his way through all of these miles. Unfortunately, I did not take it easy on him either. To make it 300 miles in 4 days you have to put in some SERIOUS mileage and Joe toughed out every last mile. He told me in the beginning that he wanted to make the mileage but it might take him all day to do it. What can I say, I have never met anyone in my life that has a 'No Quit' attitude like Joe. I honestly thought it was impossible to get to Silver City on time but he proved me wrong. Thanks Joe for contributing to some GREAT memories for this trip!
Ok, we have to make Silver City because Joe's flight leaves tomorrow morning.
The day started off with some KILLER climbs that left me gasping for breath and Joe walking and biking most of the time. I told Joe that I really wanted to try to climb this mountain pass so I went ahead of him. I would periodically stop along the way and wait for Joe. To traverse the Pass you had to go up a series of switchbacks. This was great because as I was climbing I could see Joe making his way up. It was a VERY tough climb but Joe and I made it up in record time (if that record is for the slowest ascent). On the other side of the mountain we found New Mexico - I was wondering where that was. We stopped to take our pictures in front of the sign. One day I will get that picture up but for now you just have to imagine it.
After we got into New Mexico the terrain really changed. It went from all of these brown, jagged, beautiful mountains with lots of shadows to softer looking mountains with high, haylike grass that blew in the wind. From a riding perspective we were riding directly into a strong headwind. Joe wanted to draft off of me and save his energy for the mileage. He kept saying how great it was to be out of the wind. For me, it wasn't so great. The wind totally drained me. The terrain was a series of humpback hills and mostly flat but I felt like they were some VERY hard miles.
We decided to stop in Buckhorn, NM for lunch at a place called the 'Last Chance Liquor' place or something like that. It was just a grocery store and restaurant with a catchy name. The lady there was very nice and when our cell phones did not work, she let us use her phone to call ahead to the hotel and bike shop. We spent about an hour and a half in there and had lunch.
Before we got to Buckhorn I was feeling drained but after I was ready for some more miles. I guess a little food energizes me. Luckily for us the wind had died down so the rest of the ride was not as tough. With about 10 miles left before reaching Silver City we both started to get ancy so mentally it got really tough.
We were happy to arrive at the hotel and ordered some Dominos which is ALWAYS a good idea in my book. I fell asleep soon after but Joe had to box up his bike for the flight home so he said that he got to sleep about 1 am.
This was the last day of my trip with Joe. I hated that he was leaving tomorrow. I had such a great time with him. Joe is an amazing person and I am so glad that I know him. Lorie, you said that I was the most determined person you met. You have not met Joe. He came into this trip without much training and gritted his way through all of these miles. Unfortunately, I did not take it easy on him either. To make it 300 miles in 4 days you have to put in some SERIOUS mileage and Joe toughed out every last mile. He told me in the beginning that he wanted to make the mileage but it might take him all day to do it. What can I say, I have never met anyone in my life that has a 'No Quit' attitude like Joe. I honestly thought it was impossible to get to Silver City on time but he proved me wrong. Thanks Joe for contributing to some GREAT memories for this trip!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Day 11 - Bylas, AZ to Three Way, AZ (Let's Get There!)
Miles Today: 70.39; Total Miles: 634.0
We were ready to get out of Bylas. Joe arranged for us to stay in a campsite in Three Way. We went through Geronimo and had lunch in Safford where Joe got new tires for his bike at the bike shop. He told me earlier that his back tire had a slow leak and he was working really hard during the days to keep up because of it. He was really happy about the new tires and said that he definitely noticed a difference after that.
Unfortunately, we spent so much time in Safford that we arrived in Three Way at night. But that is not the whole story. When Joe called ahead to the campsite he also asked when the grocery store closed. The campsite owner said that it closed at 8 pm. There was a time during our day where we discussed our options. Joe was very concerned about us not eating and said that we HAD to make it to the store before it closed. He also said though that if we kept going at his pace we would never make it. At 5:22 pm with a monster hill facing us and 14 miles to go, we decided to split up and I would try to get there by 8. He said that he would meet me at the campsite. He said that if I had any problems or concerns to just call him (we both had cell phones).
I took off like there was no tomorrow. I've never gone that fast up a hill before; I guess the adrenaline kicked in. The hill didn't feel too bad. However, the downhill on the other side had to be the most scary ride I have ever had. Picture this...about a 7-mile downhill in the dark (I had a light on the front of my bike), half way down the hill there was a construction zone with only one lane of traffic available that continued the rest of the way! I was white-knuckling it down and praying along the way. I didn't want to use my brakes because I didn't want to burn them out so I just let the bike go. I just got in the middle of the right lane and FLEW down the hill. I ended up doing 46.6 miles/hour...Oh My!
Anyway, I got to the store in one hour. When I got in there I called Joe and asked what he wanted (in the way of groceries). I also told him about the hill he was about to descend. All I could say was "BE CAREFUL!" Unlike me Joe did not have a front light on his bike...need I say more.
I did not skimp on our groceries. I bought enough to fill up a box. I loaded that on the bike along with my other load and went to look for the campsite. I went down the road and looked for it but in the dark it was tough to find anything. I stopped in the driveway of a house to call Joe and see how he was doing. Before I made the call, the owner of the house came home on his motorcycle and asked me if I needed help. I told him I was looking for the campsite and he said it was about a half mile back up the road. I told him what I was doing and he graciously offered for us to stay with him and his wife. His name was Coy and his wife's name was Kat. He works supplying the power for the local mine workers and Kat was in construction. I told Coy that I would come in as soon as Joe arrived. When I called Joe he had arrived at the grocery store (about an hour later). I told him that a person I met had offered for us to stay with him and his wife. Joe said that this sounded great and he would meet me in a little bit. I think we were both longing for a bed by now. Joe showed up about 10 minutes later.
Coy and Kat were so nice and accommodating...thanks. They offered us each our own rooms with a double bed in each. We did our laundry, checked email, and they even offered us food. We told them that we bought our own.
I can't say enough about them. Unfortunately it is rare to meet people like that and we are sooo grateful that we chanced into staying with them.
We were ready to get out of Bylas. Joe arranged for us to stay in a campsite in Three Way. We went through Geronimo and had lunch in Safford where Joe got new tires for his bike at the bike shop. He told me earlier that his back tire had a slow leak and he was working really hard during the days to keep up because of it. He was really happy about the new tires and said that he definitely noticed a difference after that.
Unfortunately, we spent so much time in Safford that we arrived in Three Way at night. But that is not the whole story. When Joe called ahead to the campsite he also asked when the grocery store closed. The campsite owner said that it closed at 8 pm. There was a time during our day where we discussed our options. Joe was very concerned about us not eating and said that we HAD to make it to the store before it closed. He also said though that if we kept going at his pace we would never make it. At 5:22 pm with a monster hill facing us and 14 miles to go, we decided to split up and I would try to get there by 8. He said that he would meet me at the campsite. He said that if I had any problems or concerns to just call him (we both had cell phones).
I took off like there was no tomorrow. I've never gone that fast up a hill before; I guess the adrenaline kicked in. The hill didn't feel too bad. However, the downhill on the other side had to be the most scary ride I have ever had. Picture this...about a 7-mile downhill in the dark (I had a light on the front of my bike), half way down the hill there was a construction zone with only one lane of traffic available that continued the rest of the way! I was white-knuckling it down and praying along the way. I didn't want to use my brakes because I didn't want to burn them out so I just let the bike go. I just got in the middle of the right lane and FLEW down the hill. I ended up doing 46.6 miles/hour...Oh My!
Anyway, I got to the store in one hour. When I got in there I called Joe and asked what he wanted (in the way of groceries). I also told him about the hill he was about to descend. All I could say was "BE CAREFUL!" Unlike me Joe did not have a front light on his bike...need I say more.
I did not skimp on our groceries. I bought enough to fill up a box. I loaded that on the bike along with my other load and went to look for the campsite. I went down the road and looked for it but in the dark it was tough to find anything. I stopped in the driveway of a house to call Joe and see how he was doing. Before I made the call, the owner of the house came home on his motorcycle and asked me if I needed help. I told him I was looking for the campsite and he said it was about a half mile back up the road. I told him what I was doing and he graciously offered for us to stay with him and his wife. His name was Coy and his wife's name was Kat. He works supplying the power for the local mine workers and Kat was in construction. I told Coy that I would come in as soon as Joe arrived. When I called Joe he had arrived at the grocery store (about an hour later). I told him that a person I met had offered for us to stay with him and his wife. Joe said that this sounded great and he would meet me in a little bit. I think we were both longing for a bed by now. Joe showed up about 10 minutes later.
Coy and Kat were so nice and accommodating...thanks. They offered us each our own rooms with a double bed in each. We did our laundry, checked email, and they even offered us food. We told them that we bought our own.
I can't say enough about them. Unfortunately it is rare to meet people like that and we are sooo grateful that we chanced into staying with them.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Day 10 - Superior, AZ to Bylas, AZ (A Little Scary To Say The Least)
Miles Today: 72.47; Total Miles: 563.6
You're probably wondering why I say it was scary. Well, let me tell ya.
When we got to Superior, everyone that we talked with was telling us to be careful. The terrain is pretty hilly with no shoulder going out of Superior and there was a tunnel about 2 miles into our ride. The lady at the gas station where we were filling up with fruit and powerbars for the day was telling someone in the store that her father was the local mortuary and there were 5 fatalities in the last 3 days. Three of the fatalities were from one car wreck; there was another car wreck involving a teenager and a motorcycle crash. Luckily, there were no bicyclists killed.
So Joe and I started on our trek about 8:30 am. Before we left Joe needed to send home some of his items he brought to lighten his load. We stopped at the Post Office and he mailed them home. There we met a stray dog. Joe and I are both dog lovers so of course we said hi to him. Unfortunately, this led the dog to follow us all the way out of town and onto US 60! We could not shake this dog. I was yelling at him telling him to go home and Joe was VERY concerned about him being on the highway. Well, the dog followed us to the tunnel and then was too scared to enter into it. There was a car that actually stopped on the other side of the tunnel and waited for us. When we got through, they asked us why we did not carry the dog through. We told them that it was not our dog and we could not get it to stop following us. They said that it was cowarding next to the road in the front of the tunnel.
Anyway, we picked Bylas because it fit more with the 75 miles/day we were planning on doing but it was a town that did not have a motel or a campground so we were playing it by ear. It is located on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. Joe called ahead to the Post Office in Bylas to see if they had any ideas of where we could stay. They said that we could stay in a Rest Area that was designed for travellers that was located right next to the Post Office. We thought that sounded like a good idea so we went for it.
We arrived at about 7 pm and headed straight for the only grocery store in the town. This was a hang out for all of the local teenagers. We asked and brought our bikes into the store so we could watch them closely. Inside we had a lot of interest by teenagers on where we were going and how much our bikes cost. Joe was very accommodating for all of the questions but I was more untrusting of their motives. One of the teenagers said that we could stay at his mother's house for the night but we both turned it down.
We bought some microwave meals in the store and used their microwave to cook them up. The store worker didn't seem to mind that we were setting up shop in there. Joe is very good at making people feel comfortable and is a very nice person to talk to. He asked if there was a place for us to take showers in town. The store worker said that the fitness center had showers and arranged for us to use the showers for $5 each. We headed for the fitness center, showered and left as they were closing (around 8 pm). We then made our way to the Rest Area. When we got there there was a sign that stated, "No Camping". Joe called the Police Department and asked if it would be ok for us to camp out there for the night. They suggested that we sleep in front of the EMT station. They said that it would be safer for us there. We called over to the EMT station, told them that we talked to the police, and they welcomed us with open arms. They said that they could not let us stay inside but we could pitch our tent in front of their place. This was good for 2 reasons (the way we saw it): 1) We could keep our bikes in their storage room where they would be safe, and 2) We were camping inside of their fenced-in EMT station. Little did we know how cold it would get that night. I am lucky because my sleeping bag is good for 0 degrees but Joe's is only good to 40 degrees. He woke up in the middle of the night FREEZING and said that he put every piece of clothes that he brought to stay warm. I felt so bad for him.
In the morning, Mark (the EMT that looks like a tank - or someone in professional wrestling) came out to give us a nice 'Good Morning'. He said that we could use their restrooms to freshen up and even made us each a hot chocolate! In talking with him that morning he also informed us that the Apache Reservation was the second most dangerous reservation in the country and that is why the police wanted us to stay at the EMT station (for protection). I guess you never know what you are getting into. We dodged a bullet there. On the good side, we felt protected and secure and Mark was a great guy to talk to.
You're probably wondering why I say it was scary. Well, let me tell ya.
When we got to Superior, everyone that we talked with was telling us to be careful. The terrain is pretty hilly with no shoulder going out of Superior and there was a tunnel about 2 miles into our ride. The lady at the gas station where we were filling up with fruit and powerbars for the day was telling someone in the store that her father was the local mortuary and there were 5 fatalities in the last 3 days. Three of the fatalities were from one car wreck; there was another car wreck involving a teenager and a motorcycle crash. Luckily, there were no bicyclists killed.
So Joe and I started on our trek about 8:30 am. Before we left Joe needed to send home some of his items he brought to lighten his load. We stopped at the Post Office and he mailed them home. There we met a stray dog. Joe and I are both dog lovers so of course we said hi to him. Unfortunately, this led the dog to follow us all the way out of town and onto US 60! We could not shake this dog. I was yelling at him telling him to go home and Joe was VERY concerned about him being on the highway. Well, the dog followed us to the tunnel and then was too scared to enter into it. There was a car that actually stopped on the other side of the tunnel and waited for us. When we got through, they asked us why we did not carry the dog through. We told them that it was not our dog and we could not get it to stop following us. They said that it was cowarding next to the road in the front of the tunnel.
Anyway, we picked Bylas because it fit more with the 75 miles/day we were planning on doing but it was a town that did not have a motel or a campground so we were playing it by ear. It is located on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. Joe called ahead to the Post Office in Bylas to see if they had any ideas of where we could stay. They said that we could stay in a Rest Area that was designed for travellers that was located right next to the Post Office. We thought that sounded like a good idea so we went for it.
We arrived at about 7 pm and headed straight for the only grocery store in the town. This was a hang out for all of the local teenagers. We asked and brought our bikes into the store so we could watch them closely. Inside we had a lot of interest by teenagers on where we were going and how much our bikes cost. Joe was very accommodating for all of the questions but I was more untrusting of their motives. One of the teenagers said that we could stay at his mother's house for the night but we both turned it down.
We bought some microwave meals in the store and used their microwave to cook them up. The store worker didn't seem to mind that we were setting up shop in there. Joe is very good at making people feel comfortable and is a very nice person to talk to. He asked if there was a place for us to take showers in town. The store worker said that the fitness center had showers and arranged for us to use the showers for $5 each. We headed for the fitness center, showered and left as they were closing (around 8 pm). We then made our way to the Rest Area. When we got there there was a sign that stated, "No Camping". Joe called the Police Department and asked if it would be ok for us to camp out there for the night. They suggested that we sleep in front of the EMT station. They said that it would be safer for us there. We called over to the EMT station, told them that we talked to the police, and they welcomed us with open arms. They said that they could not let us stay inside but we could pitch our tent in front of their place. This was good for 2 reasons (the way we saw it): 1) We could keep our bikes in their storage room where they would be safe, and 2) We were camping inside of their fenced-in EMT station. Little did we know how cold it would get that night. I am lucky because my sleeping bag is good for 0 degrees but Joe's is only good to 40 degrees. He woke up in the middle of the night FREEZING and said that he put every piece of clothes that he brought to stay warm. I felt so bad for him.
In the morning, Mark (the EMT that looks like a tank - or someone in professional wrestling) came out to give us a nice 'Good Morning'. He said that we could use their restrooms to freshen up and even made us each a hot chocolate! In talking with him that morning he also informed us that the Apache Reservation was the second most dangerous reservation in the country and that is why the police wanted us to stay at the EMT station (for protection). I guess you never know what you are getting into. We dodged a bullet there. On the good side, we felt protected and secure and Mark was a great guy to talk to.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Day 9 - Phoenix, AZ to Superior, AZ (City Riding)
Miles Today: 94.03; Total Miles: 491.1
Joe was riding with me from Phoenix, AZ to Silver City, NM. I originally thought that we would be riding together for 5 days but was told by Joe that he could only ride with me for 4. This was a problem because the total trip mileage for us was about 300 miles so we would have to average approximately 75 miles/day to make it to Silver City. When I informed Joe about this he said that he was willing to do the mileage but he would have to take his time during the days with a lot of breaks to be able to accomplish it. I personally thought that the mileage was impossible to make because Joe said that he had been doing something every day but had only been doing about 20 miles when he would ride at home. He just thought that he would do his best and if he couldn't make it, he would just take a cab to Silver City to catch his flight back.
The trip out of Phoenix was filled with city driving. We went through Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa through all of the city streets (with stop lights). It was a very slow 94 miles. We ended the day in Superior tired and wanting a motel bed. We arrived late at night and stayed at a very basic motel right in town.
I was AMAZED that Joe could do all the miles. At the end of the day he said that his cardio was fine but his knees and butt hurt a little. We will see what the rest of the 3 days brings. I just thought it was great biking with Joe and a lot of fun talking and laughing along the way.
Joe was riding with me from Phoenix, AZ to Silver City, NM. I originally thought that we would be riding together for 5 days but was told by Joe that he could only ride with me for 4. This was a problem because the total trip mileage for us was about 300 miles so we would have to average approximately 75 miles/day to make it to Silver City. When I informed Joe about this he said that he was willing to do the mileage but he would have to take his time during the days with a lot of breaks to be able to accomplish it. I personally thought that the mileage was impossible to make because Joe said that he had been doing something every day but had only been doing about 20 miles when he would ride at home. He just thought that he would do his best and if he couldn't make it, he would just take a cab to Silver City to catch his flight back.
The trip out of Phoenix was filled with city driving. We went through Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa through all of the city streets (with stop lights). It was a very slow 94 miles. We ended the day in Superior tired and wanting a motel bed. We arrived late at night and stayed at a very basic motel right in town.
I was AMAZED that Joe could do all the miles. At the end of the day he said that his cardio was fine but his knees and butt hurt a little. We will see what the rest of the 3 days brings. I just thought it was great biking with Joe and a lot of fun talking and laughing along the way.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Day 8 - Day Off (Hi Joe!)
Today Joe is coming from Cincinnati around noon. I will spend today resting and Joe will have assemble his bike and get it ready for the trip.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Day 7 - Aguila, AZ to Phoenix, AZ (Hi Linda!)
Miles Today: 68.96; Total Miles: 397.1
All I was thinking about today was seeing my sister Linda. Family to me is a great motivator and this was no exception. I was cruising down the road. I tried to call my mom on the phone again after about the 35 mile mark but it still did not have coverage. I'm sure she was beside herself.
In Phoenix, I will meet up with Joe for our New Mexico leg. It will be great to ride with him again. The last time we rode together was a 100 miler (for me - 55 for him). He says that he's in shape and all ready to go.
I left at 5:50 am that morning because the event that was bringing everyone into town was starting in mid morning and the police would be closing down US 60 for traffic during the block party. This is the road I'm using. I wanted to get passed the town of Wickenburg, AZ (where the event is happening) before they closed it off.
Ah, success. I was able to go through Wickenburg with no problem and finally reached my mom by phone at the 43 mile mark. When I talked to her she asked, "How was camping?" I said, "How did you know?" Well, apparently she was not satisfied not knowing where I was and called the Jim Burro motel. The manager there said that she sent me to the campground. She called the owner of the campground and he confirmed that I had checked in. I had to laugh, can't put anything past Mom.
When I arrived in Phoenix I was greeted by Linda and her 2 English Cockers. We spent the day going to the dog park and had Asian food at night. Can't wait to see Joe and have a day of rest.
Here's a picture of me that my sister Linda took. Yes, that is a kitchen garbage can I have my tent and clothes in.
All I was thinking about today was seeing my sister Linda. Family to me is a great motivator and this was no exception. I was cruising down the road. I tried to call my mom on the phone again after about the 35 mile mark but it still did not have coverage. I'm sure she was beside herself.
In Phoenix, I will meet up with Joe for our New Mexico leg. It will be great to ride with him again. The last time we rode together was a 100 miler (for me - 55 for him). He says that he's in shape and all ready to go.
I left at 5:50 am that morning because the event that was bringing everyone into town was starting in mid morning and the police would be closing down US 60 for traffic during the block party. This is the road I'm using. I wanted to get passed the town of Wickenburg, AZ (where the event is happening) before they closed it off.
Ah, success. I was able to go through Wickenburg with no problem and finally reached my mom by phone at the 43 mile mark. When I talked to her she asked, "How was camping?" I said, "How did you know?" Well, apparently she was not satisfied not knowing where I was and called the Jim Burro motel. The manager there said that she sent me to the campground. She called the owner of the campground and he confirmed that I had checked in. I had to laugh, can't put anything past Mom.
When I arrived in Phoenix I was greeted by Linda and her 2 English Cockers. We spent the day going to the dog park and had Asian food at night. Can't wait to see Joe and have a day of rest.
Here's a picture of me that my sister Linda took. Yes, that is a kitchen garbage can I have my tent and clothes in.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Day 6 - Quartzsite, AZ to Aguila, AZ (Hear Those Coyotes)
Miles Today: 70.46; Total Miles: 325.7
My whole ride today was on US 60. It was a GREAT road with a very nice shoulder (although I mostly rode in the road anyway). It was flat and uneventful. I listened to music and watched the flat scenery go by. It's a day like this that makes me thankful for all of the music you guys came up with.
By the time I reached Aguila I was ready for the motel. I got to good ole 'Jim Burro' motel and they told me that they did not have any rooms available. This is the only motel in town. Then, they said that the next town does not have any room either because there is a special event going on during the weekend and all of the motels in the area are filled. The lady suggested a campground about a mile back up the road. With no other options, I decided to stay there for the night.
This is the first time that I was camping because the mornings have been so cold. I've been staying in motels because I knew that in the morning I would have to assemble the cargo on my bike and it is a lot nicer to be in a warm room when you are doing that. The campsite only costed me $10 and included the shower. I camped next to a german couple (man was 69, wife was 58) who are biking the whole world. They told me many stories of their travels. They said they had logged more than 46,000 km so far and still have 666 days to go. In light of this, I saved my travel stories for another day.
I tried to call my mom on the cell to tell her about my day and I could not get through. This is the first time that I did not have cell phone coverage. I knew that my mom was probably panicking at this point because I've called every day at lunch and after my ride to talk with her and let her know I'm ok. Unfortunately, this is supposed to happen for a long stretch through New Mexico so maybe this will prepare her for it later.
In the middle of the night a train went by and blew it's horn. One lone coyote started wailing. On the second horn blow hundreds of coyotes joined in. That was so cool (only because they were far away)!
Got going to Phoenix at 5:50 am the next day.
My whole ride today was on US 60. It was a GREAT road with a very nice shoulder (although I mostly rode in the road anyway). It was flat and uneventful. I listened to music and watched the flat scenery go by. It's a day like this that makes me thankful for all of the music you guys came up with.
By the time I reached Aguila I was ready for the motel. I got to good ole 'Jim Burro' motel and they told me that they did not have any rooms available. This is the only motel in town. Then, they said that the next town does not have any room either because there is a special event going on during the weekend and all of the motels in the area are filled. The lady suggested a campground about a mile back up the road. With no other options, I decided to stay there for the night.
This is the first time that I was camping because the mornings have been so cold. I've been staying in motels because I knew that in the morning I would have to assemble the cargo on my bike and it is a lot nicer to be in a warm room when you are doing that. The campsite only costed me $10 and included the shower. I camped next to a german couple (man was 69, wife was 58) who are biking the whole world. They told me many stories of their travels. They said they had logged more than 46,000 km so far and still have 666 days to go. In light of this, I saved my travel stories for another day.
I tried to call my mom on the cell to tell her about my day and I could not get through. This is the first time that I did not have cell phone coverage. I knew that my mom was probably panicking at this point because I've called every day at lunch and after my ride to talk with her and let her know I'm ok. Unfortunately, this is supposed to happen for a long stretch through New Mexico so maybe this will prepare her for it later.
In the middle of the night a train went by and blew it's horn. One lone coyote started wailing. On the second horn blow hundreds of coyotes joined in. That was so cool (only because they were far away)!
Got going to Phoenix at 5:50 am the next day.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Day 5 - Palo Verde, CA to Quartzsite, AZ (Arizona here I come)
Miles Today: 46.27; Total Miles: 255.2
Today is the day that I said goodbye to California, Whoa Hoo! It is also a day of short mileage that I planned on after 2 days of long mileage (relatively speaking, of course).
The morning was beautiful but still cold (40ish). The California leg of the ride was flat and fast. I made some really good time bopping to my music along the way. I passed a sheep farm with hundreds of sheep all standing in close proximity to each other. I wanted to take a picture but I figured it was too dark and it would probably not turn out so I continued on.
I walked my bike across the CA/AZ border along a River Pedestrian Crossing that spanned the Colorado River. I got a BIG smile on my face when I crossed that line. One state down and 7 more to go! I ended my day in Quartzsite, AZ and felt fresh after an easy day.
Today is the day that I said goodbye to California, Whoa Hoo! It is also a day of short mileage that I planned on after 2 days of long mileage (relatively speaking, of course).
The morning was beautiful but still cold (40ish). The California leg of the ride was flat and fast. I made some really good time bopping to my music along the way. I passed a sheep farm with hundreds of sheep all standing in close proximity to each other. I wanted to take a picture but I figured it was too dark and it would probably not turn out so I continued on.
I walked my bike across the CA/AZ border along a River Pedestrian Crossing that spanned the Colorado River. I got a BIG smile on my face when I crossed that line. One state down and 7 more to go! I ended my day in Quartzsite, AZ and felt fresh after an easy day.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Day 4 - Brawley, CA to Palo Verde, CA (Rolling Hills)
Miles Today: 69.30; Total Miles: 208.9
I really enjoyed today's ride. Now my bike was working perfectly and the scenery was amazing. I rode through the Imperial Sand Dunes and through the Chocolate Mountains (pictures to come). I also went through a Border Patrol Inspection Station where they stopped me and asked my country of origin and asked me, "Where are you going?" I replied, "Today?" I told them that I was travelling from Brawley to Palo Verde and they briefly looked at my cargo and sent me on my way.
The first half of the ride was flat so I made some excellent time. In the second half, it was a series of humpback mountains that were driving me crazy. This was different as it appeared on the map. I thought I would have a nice downhill to finish the day. What happened was that I spent the whole time switching gears between the low and the high gears and I had no rest. By the time I reached Palo Verde I was ready for my shower and bed. I stayed at a little motel called the Lagoon Lodge. Next store was the Lagoon Saloon and a gas station. Across the street was an RV park...that's about it. The people that I met were VERY nice and hospitable.
Physically I feel pretty good. I don't have saddle sores or back sores that I thought I would have at this point. I have some pain in my shoulder/neck and the front of my thighs feel like jelly. I am looking forward to Phoenix where I am planning a day off at my sister's house on Day 8.
I really enjoyed today's ride. Now my bike was working perfectly and the scenery was amazing. I rode through the Imperial Sand Dunes and through the Chocolate Mountains (pictures to come). I also went through a Border Patrol Inspection Station where they stopped me and asked my country of origin and asked me, "Where are you going?" I replied, "Today?" I told them that I was travelling from Brawley to Palo Verde and they briefly looked at my cargo and sent me on my way.
The first half of the ride was flat so I made some excellent time. In the second half, it was a series of humpback mountains that were driving me crazy. This was different as it appeared on the map. I thought I would have a nice downhill to finish the day. What happened was that I spent the whole time switching gears between the low and the high gears and I had no rest. By the time I reached Palo Verde I was ready for my shower and bed. I stayed at a little motel called the Lagoon Lodge. Next store was the Lagoon Saloon and a gas station. Across the street was an RV park...that's about it. The people that I met were VERY nice and hospitable.
Physically I feel pretty good. I don't have saddle sores or back sores that I thought I would have at this point. I have some pain in my shoulder/neck and the front of my thighs feel like jelly. I am looking forward to Phoenix where I am planning a day off at my sister's house on Day 8.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Day 3 - Boulevard, CA to Brawley, CA (Back Tire Woas)
Miles Today: 70.27; Total Miles: 139.6
I began today with a mission to get to Brawley, CA. This would put me back on my original schedule. The next day (Day 4) is a day where in the area in between the 2 cities there is nothing as far as food or services. That leg is 69 miles too so I will HAVE to get to Brawley before my day is done.
At this point in the trip I was concerned about my back tire going flat all the time. It was running low constantly and I would have to get off from time to time and pump it up so I could keep going. I was NOT going to change the tire again because I knew that it would just make that one go flat too. I started my trip with 6 spare tires in my handlebar bag and now I only have 3.
On the good side of things, this was the day that I would leave the San Diego Hills behind. I was very excited about that. It was very cold up in the hills and I could not wait to get back down to sea level again.
I left Boulevard at 6 am through roads with shoulders filled with ice. I was lucky that it was so early in the morning because I was able to ride my bike in the middle of the road without much interruption. I just turned on my music and kept pedalling. I started on the downhill leg on I-8 (an interstate folks!). The ride down was a winding highway (about 10 - 15 miles) with cars doing highway speed and me with a low back tire trying to go as slow as possible so I don't lose control of the bike around the turns. I know that sounds scary and believe me IT WAS. The whole way down I was just thinking to myself, "I cannot stop because it is too cold but I have to get to the bottom as fast as possible." I actually burned out my brakes on the way down the hill because I was using them so much.
I was sooo happy to get off the interstate and get back on good biking roads. At the bottom of the hill, it was flat with beautiful mountains surrounding me in the distance. As the sun was rising over the hills the sun was falling on some of the mountains and not on others. With my music playing in my ears and the scenery around I thought of the beautiful the scenery they showed in Forrest Gump when he was running across the country. I yelled out loud, "THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!" I was in heaven.
I stopped in Seeley for lunch and made my 'Lunch' call to update my mom on the daily events. I started telling her of all of my troubles with the bike so far. She suggested that I take some time and stop in El Centro (the next city along my route) to get my bike checked out by a bike shop. I told her that I was so caught up in the problems that I wasn't even thinking of that. I was so determined to get to Brawley that I had lost sight of the most important thing. I took her advice and stopped at a GREAT bike shop in El Centro. They were so wonderful to me. They dropped what they were doing and fixed every problem that I could think of. The man found the sharp object in my back tire (Thank God) and put on a new back tire. I got a set of brakes, 2 more spare inner tubes, some bolts in case the rack has problems again, he trued the tires to fix the wobble, and the guy even fixed my gears (they had been slipping ever since I bought the bike). My trip from the bike shop to Brawley was the first time that I was not dealing with any bike issues. What a GREAT idea, thanks Mom!
I am back on schedule now with a bike that feels brand new.
I began today with a mission to get to Brawley, CA. This would put me back on my original schedule. The next day (Day 4) is a day where in the area in between the 2 cities there is nothing as far as food or services. That leg is 69 miles too so I will HAVE to get to Brawley before my day is done.
At this point in the trip I was concerned about my back tire going flat all the time. It was running low constantly and I would have to get off from time to time and pump it up so I could keep going. I was NOT going to change the tire again because I knew that it would just make that one go flat too. I started my trip with 6 spare tires in my handlebar bag and now I only have 3.
On the good side of things, this was the day that I would leave the San Diego Hills behind. I was very excited about that. It was very cold up in the hills and I could not wait to get back down to sea level again.
I left Boulevard at 6 am through roads with shoulders filled with ice. I was lucky that it was so early in the morning because I was able to ride my bike in the middle of the road without much interruption. I just turned on my music and kept pedalling. I started on the downhill leg on I-8 (an interstate folks!). The ride down was a winding highway (about 10 - 15 miles) with cars doing highway speed and me with a low back tire trying to go as slow as possible so I don't lose control of the bike around the turns. I know that sounds scary and believe me IT WAS. The whole way down I was just thinking to myself, "I cannot stop because it is too cold but I have to get to the bottom as fast as possible." I actually burned out my brakes on the way down the hill because I was using them so much.
I was sooo happy to get off the interstate and get back on good biking roads. At the bottom of the hill, it was flat with beautiful mountains surrounding me in the distance. As the sun was rising over the hills the sun was falling on some of the mountains and not on others. With my music playing in my ears and the scenery around I thought of the beautiful the scenery they showed in Forrest Gump when he was running across the country. I yelled out loud, "THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!" I was in heaven.
I stopped in Seeley for lunch and made my 'Lunch' call to update my mom on the daily events. I started telling her of all of my troubles with the bike so far. She suggested that I take some time and stop in El Centro (the next city along my route) to get my bike checked out by a bike shop. I told her that I was so caught up in the problems that I wasn't even thinking of that. I was so determined to get to Brawley that I had lost sight of the most important thing. I took her advice and stopped at a GREAT bike shop in El Centro. They were so wonderful to me. They dropped what they were doing and fixed every problem that I could think of. The man found the sharp object in my back tire (Thank God) and put on a new back tire. I got a set of brakes, 2 more spare inner tubes, some bolts in case the rack has problems again, he trued the tires to fix the wobble, and the guy even fixed my gears (they had been slipping ever since I bought the bike). My trip from the bike shop to Brawley was the first time that I was not dealing with any bike issues. What a GREAT idea, thanks Mom!
I am back on schedule now with a bike that feels brand new.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Day 2 - Santee, CA to Boulevard, CA (View from the Top)
Miles Today: 54.32; Total Miles: 69.4
Ok, now I was in a dilemma. Before the trip I had mapped out a miles/day plan to allow me to arrive in Phoenix, AZ in 7 days. There I am going to meet my friend Joe who is going to bike with me for 4 days through New Mexico. I woke up on Day 2 only 15 miles in but had planned to go 49.5 miles on my first day. So now my plan changed to 'Catch Up Time'.
I started my ride at the bottom of the San Diego Hills. Today I had to climb from sea level to 4,200 ft. The distance of the climb was a little over 30 miles. I had read previous logs of people that had done it before so I was mentally prepared for the climb and realized that at times up the hill I will probably have to get off and walk a little bit. Did I mention that I have not really trained too much on the bike before the trip? I'm a jogger and thought that the endurance that I've gained through running will be enough for the trip. I figured I had plenty of days to get my 'bike' legs into shape.
I started out at 5:45 am on a beautiful, but cold morning. It was dark when I left so I turned on my lights and set out. A little over a mile into my ride my load on the back of the bike swayed over to the left and almost made me lose control. I stopped the bike, looked at the back rack holding my load, and noticed that one of the bolts holding the rack to the back tire had either snapped off or unscrewed itself. Luckily I had an extra bolt in my handlebar bag so I used that to secure the rack. This incident made me realize that I am really vulnerable starting so early in the morning because if anything catastrophic happened to the bike, there would be nothing open.
My day was filled with riding and walking. I tried to eat my Powerbars and drink my Gatorade every 10 miles to keep my energy up. I finally made it to the top where the temperature was probably in the high 30s and there was snow covering the shoulder of the road. It made biking a little difficult but I just biked on the road to get around it. I sustained 2 more back tire flats along the way which I have to say was no fun to fix when your fingers were freezing. This made me think that there must be a sharp object on the inside of the back tire that is making all of my inner tubes get slow leaks. On the second flat, I looked at the tire and discovered a sharp object and tried to remove it but I don't think I got it. I was too cold to try to figure it out though.
I ended up reaching Boulevard, CA 11 hours after I started and very happy that I set myself up to get back on track within a day or two.
Ok, now I was in a dilemma. Before the trip I had mapped out a miles/day plan to allow me to arrive in Phoenix, AZ in 7 days. There I am going to meet my friend Joe who is going to bike with me for 4 days through New Mexico. I woke up on Day 2 only 15 miles in but had planned to go 49.5 miles on my first day. So now my plan changed to 'Catch Up Time'.
I started my ride at the bottom of the San Diego Hills. Today I had to climb from sea level to 4,200 ft. The distance of the climb was a little over 30 miles. I had read previous logs of people that had done it before so I was mentally prepared for the climb and realized that at times up the hill I will probably have to get off and walk a little bit. Did I mention that I have not really trained too much on the bike before the trip? I'm a jogger and thought that the endurance that I've gained through running will be enough for the trip. I figured I had plenty of days to get my 'bike' legs into shape.
I started out at 5:45 am on a beautiful, but cold morning. It was dark when I left so I turned on my lights and set out. A little over a mile into my ride my load on the back of the bike swayed over to the left and almost made me lose control. I stopped the bike, looked at the back rack holding my load, and noticed that one of the bolts holding the rack to the back tire had either snapped off or unscrewed itself. Luckily I had an extra bolt in my handlebar bag so I used that to secure the rack. This incident made me realize that I am really vulnerable starting so early in the morning because if anything catastrophic happened to the bike, there would be nothing open.
My day was filled with riding and walking. I tried to eat my Powerbars and drink my Gatorade every 10 miles to keep my energy up. I finally made it to the top where the temperature was probably in the high 30s and there was snow covering the shoulder of the road. It made biking a little difficult but I just biked on the road to get around it. I sustained 2 more back tire flats along the way which I have to say was no fun to fix when your fingers were freezing. This made me think that there must be a sharp object on the inside of the back tire that is making all of my inner tubes get slow leaks. On the second flat, I looked at the tire and discovered a sharp object and tried to remove it but I don't think I got it. I was too cold to try to figure it out though.
I ended up reaching Boulevard, CA 11 hours after I started and very happy that I set myself up to get back on track within a day or two.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Day 1 - Ocean Beach Park, CA to Santee, CA (Rain, Rain, Rain)
Miles Today: 15; Total Miles: 15
I started my bike trip at 5:30 am on Sunday because I was determined to start on time despite the rain that morning. I made my way to Ocean Beach for the traditional picture of the dipping of the back tire in the Pacific Ocean. As I left the hostel I only got one block down the road before my headlight fell off and scattered across the road with batteries flying. That kind of made me laugh. I figured, OK, what else is going to go wrong today?
As I was riding I realized that the bike computer (odometer) was not working. I thought that I will just try to fix it when I got to the beach. At the beach I spent about 15 minutes trying to figure out the computer but had no luck. I decided to start my ride without it. Then, I rolled my bike onto the beach for the picture - BAD IDEA. The wet sand clumped up on the tires and got onto the brake pads. I flagged down a man walking his dog and asked him to take my picture. I asked him to get a picture with the back tire in the water. He said, "Oh, here comes one". Little did I know that the wave would be up to my calves totally soaking my shoes. I jumped up and down and laughed again. I thought to myself, "It's going to be one of those days."
After that fiasco, I left to climb the 4,200 ft. San Diego mountains. The temperature of the ride was probably in the mid 40s with the wind blowing in my face. I tried to keep a positive outlook and continued on my way. At the 15 mile mark I decided to stop and buy some hot tea at McDonalds to warm up. After 4 hot teas I could not stop shivering and reluctantly decided that I would just get a motel there for the night and start fresh the next morning. As I was leaving McDonalds, I looked down and I had a flat back tire. Good start, huh?
I started my bike trip at 5:30 am on Sunday because I was determined to start on time despite the rain that morning. I made my way to Ocean Beach for the traditional picture of the dipping of the back tire in the Pacific Ocean. As I left the hostel I only got one block down the road before my headlight fell off and scattered across the road with batteries flying. That kind of made me laugh. I figured, OK, what else is going to go wrong today?
As I was riding I realized that the bike computer (odometer) was not working. I thought that I will just try to fix it when I got to the beach. At the beach I spent about 15 minutes trying to figure out the computer but had no luck. I decided to start my ride without it. Then, I rolled my bike onto the beach for the picture - BAD IDEA. The wet sand clumped up on the tires and got onto the brake pads. I flagged down a man walking his dog and asked him to take my picture. I asked him to get a picture with the back tire in the water. He said, "Oh, here comes one". Little did I know that the wave would be up to my calves totally soaking my shoes. I jumped up and down and laughed again. I thought to myself, "It's going to be one of those days."
After that fiasco, I left to climb the 4,200 ft. San Diego mountains. The temperature of the ride was probably in the mid 40s with the wind blowing in my face. I tried to keep a positive outlook and continued on my way. At the 15 mile mark I decided to stop and buy some hot tea at McDonalds to warm up. After 4 hot teas I could not stop shivering and reluctantly decided that I would just get a motel there for the night and start fresh the next morning. As I was leaving McDonalds, I looked down and I had a flat back tire. Good start, huh?
Saturday, February 2, 2008
1 Day to Go - Did Anyone See My Bags?
A week before my flight I had mailed my bike to San Diego to a local bike shop and asked them to assemble it for me when it arrived. My plan was to take my equipment with me on the plane and then pick up my bike when I got there. Well, I had many delays the day of my flight so I arrived in San Diego but my bags didn't. My original flight was supposed to arrive at 10:38 am on Saturday giving me plenty of time but I ended up arriving at 3:03 pm. The problem I had was that the bike shop closed at 6 pm and they were not open on Sunday. Once I landed, I immediately took a cab and picked up my bike at the bike shop. My bike was assembled but the handlebars were in a different position, the seat was too high, etc. I had the guy adjust all of the little things and I rode back to the hostel to await my bags. The airport said that they would probably arrive that day but they would not promise anything. I waited all night and no bags. Needless to say I was a little thrown off of my gameplan. I worried all night but was fortunately still able to sleep. At 5:30 am on Sunday I went down to the hostel lobby and my 2 boxes were sitting in the computer room. I jumped for joy and said a few "Thank Gods". Then I opened the boxes and started loading the bike. As I am getting the bike together, it began to rain (more of a midst). I was so excited about leaving that I ignored the rain and got on my way.
Friday, February 1, 2008
2 Days to Go - Final Preparations
I'm all ready to go. My bike has been received and assembled at a local bike shop in San Diego and my mom has collected all of my important information in case something happens to me during the trip. Tomorrow I will fly out to San Diego, get my bike and shop for some food for my first day. I'm staying at a hostel in a dorm room that holds eight so hopefully I will be able to get enough sleep for the start. I plan to leave around 5:30 - 6 am so I can maximize my riding time as much as possible.
Unfortunately, the weather report is calling for rain and wind; hopefully the wind will be blowing in my direction. This day is destined to be one of the most challenging of the trip. It will be 49.5 miles of riding with a climb from sea level to 4000 ft (sounds like fun). I quote Mr T from Rocky 3, "I have a prediction...PAIN!" The bright side is that it's all downhill from there...well, not really.
Thanks for all of the song submissions. I will have 198 songs to fuel my ride. I'm sure I will have some kid along the way look out his car window and say to his mom, "Hey mom, why is that biker man dancing on his bike?" Believe me, THAT WILL HAPPEN.
Here we go! Anybody else excited???
mike
Unfortunately, the weather report is calling for rain and wind; hopefully the wind will be blowing in my direction. This day is destined to be one of the most challenging of the trip. It will be 49.5 miles of riding with a climb from sea level to 4000 ft (sounds like fun). I quote Mr T from Rocky 3, "I have a prediction...PAIN!" The bright side is that it's all downhill from there...well, not really.
Thanks for all of the song submissions. I will have 198 songs to fuel my ride. I'm sure I will have some kid along the way look out his car window and say to his mom, "Hey mom, why is that biker man dancing on his bike?" Believe me, THAT WILL HAPPEN.
Here we go! Anybody else excited???
mike
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