Saturday, July 11, 2009

Saturday. I know this must be sounding repetitive, but each day there are new, different, and spectacular scenery. The day started out at about 40 degrees. Luckily I had just received arm and leg warmers that caryn had shipped so I had cold fingers for awhile with the rest of me was comfortable. Starting the ride at 6:30am there was no warming effect from the sun. after a few hours and 30 miles of gentle up hill most of the layers came off. Leaving dubois at just under 7000 feet and riding to the top of
Togwatee pass at 9600 we crossed the continental divide yet once more and it won’t be the last time. Stay tuned because I will surely document each crossing. With hoosier being our highest point on the trip this pass is our second highest point. Major reconstruction of the entire road in underway causing us to have to be ferried through 2 sections. Of course for us it was on the down hill side so we didn’t get to save any energy. Our bikes were put in the back of a pickup truck and we sat with them in the bed of the truck. It was fun. We finished the 65 mile ride at colter bay village in grand teton national park. We’ve pitched our tents in a very rustic pine grove. I can only dream about the wonderful accommodations at the jenny lake lodge the last time caryn and I visited here with ed and Jeanne Samuels. We’re off tomorrow so I think it will be very quiet and restful. Tonight frank is taking everyone out to dinner in honor of his wife leslie’s birthday. Leslie joined the group in Breckenridge and will be riding with us until Missoula. With the rest day tomorrow there will be no post.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Friday. I never thought I’d ever say that a 75 mile mostly uphill ride was delightful, but today proved to be one of those days. weather was beautiful, winds calm, terrain ever changing. About a quarter of the way into the ride a kid named steve caught up to me and rode the rest of the day with me. I didn’t get to finish the nelson demille novel I’m listening to but good conversation made the miles fly by. Steve is a may graduate of a small college in Missouri who has the summer off until he starts a job in September. This cross country trip has been planned for a few years. Steve has been riding the same daily schedule as we have for the last several days and we’ve bumped into each other and made small talk at various campgrounds. He’s riding alone but share that he enjoys hooking up with others occasionally to break up the aloneness of being on the road for a few months. He’s engaged to be married on December 5, 2009. I explained that the date was a good omen. Tonight we’re in Dubois which is a very authentic looking old western town. There was even a horse tied up to a hitching post on main street. We’re in a very nice koa campground. The koa’s have been the most consistently nice campgrounds throughout the trip.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Thursday. Yesterday we stayed in a very weird motel in Jeffrey city. I had moseyed down the road to the cafĂ©/bar for an afternoon snack after the hard ride. It turned out they had wifi so I was able to post a quick blog, but I had no cell service so I couldn’t get any pictures from my camera/phone to my computer so I could post them. Below are some pictures from yesterday. As a was sitting at the bar schmoozing with a couple that was riding eastbound a disturbance broke out between a male patron and a female patron. Abusive language, pushing and shoving and some fists thrown. It only lasted a minute when the two combatants stormed out and drove off. The bartender told me this kind of thing happens all the time. She even pointed out that there are bars on the inside of the window so when someone tries to throw another through the window they will not break glass. Within 30 minutes the sheriff showed up to take statements. It was all quite exciting. We are certainly in cowboy country now.
Today we left just before 6:30am because of out fear of a repeat of the headwinds yesterday. The wind was calm and the ride was a mostly downhill run to lander, Wyoming. We arrive by 11:15am so it’s like half a layover day. We’re staying at a very nice camp ground. I was able to get a little cabin for myself that has air conditioning and a full bath. Great little town, population 6800. It’s a jumping off spot for all kinds of outdoor recreation as we get close to the Tetons and Yellowstone. I will continue to post photos of the views but trust me, there’s no way to capture the spectacular scenery that we get to view around every curve and over every rise. It is just breathtaking. i think the views are enhance by our slow speed that allows it all to be taken it and absorbed. Actually the highlight of my day was changing a tire. I’ve been riding for a couple of days on a soft rear tire. I decided I’d rather change it in camp than on the road. It’s my first flat in about 1000 miles. The big deal was that I changed it all by myself with no assistance. A first!!!!!! I guess I’m now a complete biker.

leslie taking care of business while frank naps

pay phone jeffrey city style

alice, cammie, and andy pooped after the hard ride awaiting refueling

jeffrey city motel

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Wednesday. Rawlins to Jeffrey city 68 miles. Started with a gradual long climb to just over 7000 feet crossing the continental divide for the third time. Then a long flat ride through the great divide basin. It reminded me of Kansas with different scenery. Another gentle climb and back over the continental divide. I had mentioned earlier that we would cross the divide five time, but now realize we’ll cross it at least seven times. The last 14 miles were the hardest miles I’ve ever ridden. We were directly into head winds that were close to 20 m.p.h with gusts much higher. In low gear I was pedaling for all I was worth and couldn’t go faster than 6 m.p.h.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Tuesday. Short(45 miles) easy ride today. Mostly flat with gentle bumps. Wide open spaces with cattle grazing. Nice temps, around 50 when we started at 7:00am rising to mid 70’s. Rawlins, Wyoming was our destination and we get there before noon. The unique event of the day was a 14 mile ride on interstate 80. Back east this would never be permitted, but out west several states allow bicycles on the interstate highways. I had some anxiety with this, but it worked out fine. The shoulder was wide and smooth and the traffic was far enough away that we didn’t get the buffeting that I expected. There were areas of heavy road hazard that require alert riding. All in all even with big trucks whizzing by at 80 miles and hour the day proved to be uneventful. Getting to camp so early makes this like a half a layover day. We’re at a very nice camp ground with good showers and a laundry. By the way we have officially reached 2500 miles.

wishful thinking

riding on the interstate

getting on to I-80

Monday, July 6, 2009

Monday. A spectacular day. Sunny, helping wind, comfortable temperature, great scenery for our 68 mile ride to Saratoga, Wyoming. A few hills but net down hill of around 2000 feet. We crossed the Wyoming border at the 22 mile mark. At 50 miles we at lunch at the mangy moose restaurant in riverside, Wyoming, touted to be the best burgers on the route. Having had almost a burger a day I would concur. Camping tonight beside a pretty lake, but no showers. We’re vanning it into town for showers at the town pool. I slept great last night and anticipate the same tonight with projected lows temp around 40. My sleeping bag has kept me toasty at that temp.

From a Brother's Perspective

this post was sent to joe from ralph's brother, mark hall:


A GUEST RIDERS PERSPECTIVE:

I met the group in Farmington MO for a 3 day ride to Houston MO and this my take, experience, observations and explanation of what it means to ride across the country with this group. I'm Ralph's brother, Missouri is my home state and I wanted to ride with him while he was in Missouri. I also got to celebrate his 60th birthday with him and to experience a bit of the trip. I'm so glad I did.

My first sight of the group was tents on the lawn of a Fire Station in the middle of the city. Not a big city but big enough that the tents looked out of place. To the group, it was one more night in one more place - nothing out of the ordinary. It was well lit and we used the firehouse showers and bathrooms.

It took all 3 days to get to know everyone and by the time I left, I left with the feeling that if I ever do the Transamerica Ride, I hope it's with a group like this one. Let me correct that.. if I ever do the Transamerica Ride, it will have to be with a group like this - the ride is too hard, the group lives too close and the length of time is too long to have a bad group. This is a great group. They laugh, kid, respect each other, maintain appropriate independence & distance and work together toward a common goal.

The group is typically in bed by 8 pm (yes, it's still daylight out) and up around 5 am. Since I wasn't used to these hours or to sleeping on the ground, I didn't get a lot of sleep. I tried heavy beer drinking but that only made me wake up throughout the night to go to the bathroom - bad idea.

Everyone gets up in the morning at about the same time. I think the ears are tuned for the first noise, similar to an alarm clock. First thing you do in the morning is pack up everything, put it in your travel bag and put it next to the van. The cooks assistants set out the breakfast and lunch foods. They also make coffee. Everyone fixes and eats their own breakfast, makes a couple sandwiches for lunch and then hits the road.

The cooks assistants then put everything back in the van, clean up and they hit the road too.

There are two cooks and two assistants. Cooks are responsible for the dinner menu, buying the food and cooking. The next day the assistants become the cooks and there are two new assistants. This rotation happens every day.

The selection available for breakfast and lunch is similar to what you'd find in a typical large family pantry. Cereal, fruit, peanut butter and jelly, tomatoes, oatmeal, cheese, lunchmeat, different kinds of breads.. etc.. If you want something and it's available at the store and storable in the van, the cooks buy it when they go to the local grocery store (daily).

We had ice cream one night but it was pretty soft and we had to eat it right away. The reason for the ice cream was to celebrate my brother's 60th birthday, which was actually on the next day. I think we celebrated his birthday a day early because of the availability of a cake. BTW, Ralph doesn't look a day older than 60.

The group doesn't ride as a group. Some people team up and some people ride alone. At times you can see people ahead and people behind. Sometimes not. Each of the 3 days I rode, we stopped for breakfast at the first available town. This meal was on top of the breakfast at camp but it just never seemed to be too much. You burn a lot of calories riding the road. The table at the restaurant was a rotating collection of the group, some coming in while others are finishing and leaving. And, by the way, there are 9 riders plus two Adventure Cycling guys. The Adventure Cycling guys provide direction/help/support etc.. They switch off each day - one drives the van and the other rides 'sweep' on a bike. Sweep is the last biker on the road. He makes sure no one is left behind, broken down or lost.

The ride itself seemed like 'the job' and then afterwards was like 'after work'. We typically arrived at our next overnight camp by one to two pm.

First thing you do when you finish riding is to set up your tent. It has to dry out because it's usually wet from dew or rain from when you packed it in the morning. Then you take a shower & lounge around for a while. The new cooks make up the dinner menu, take food orders and head out to the grocery store in town. The two cooks fix dinner and around 5 or 6 pm we ate. There is usually plenty of food and it tasted great. Everything seems to taste great after 50 or more miles on a bike.

The evenings are interesting. This group is almost totally removed from society, news and most modern conveniences. They have to find ways to entertain and busy themselves without TV, XBox or even a light switch. Humor is always present. We had occasion to sit in the river to cool off a couple afternoons. One night David read from a book called Candy and Tom made the sound effects - it was hilarious. The bloggers (Cammie and Joe) drift away and type on computers for a while. Some fall asleep in lawn chairs, others read, some explore. If a laundry is available, they take advantage of it. Lots of conversation. One night I learned about a word that was removed from the dictionary back around 1908 that meant 'exit stage left in a crawl like manner' . I forget the word now and remember only the definition. Telephones are ever present and are the only link to the real world and family.

Each evening after dinner there is a map meeting. Everyone gets in a circle with their maps and the support leaders discuss the upcoming day's route, turns, conditions, things to look for etc.. People take notes & ask questions. This meeting always seemed pretty serious.

The weather rules. The group has no power over weather and have to take it as it comes. My second day with the group was heavy rain and thick fog for the first several hours. I stopped and wrung my socks out 3 times, then turned them inside out to get the dry side and put them back on. I knew they needed wringing when I could tilt my foot and feel the water run from the front to back of my shoe. That same day turned into a 90 degree heat wave after the rain stopped. Harsh weather might be the hardest part of the ride. Wind, rain, heat, humidity, fog, ....

The ride each day was completely new and different. The overnight facilities were each unique and the weather was always changing but I can see how they must begin to blend into a seemingly endless blur, into a place, a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity... It is an area which we call -------- the Transamerica ZONE.

While I only spent 3 days with the group, I miss them and think about them a lot. It's a small, compact world they live in. It's an extraordinary and unusual existence. It's monumental on so many levels.

I've got a feeling this group will be lifelong good friends and will stay in touch with each other for the rest of their lives.

Maybe after I retire.....

Mark

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Sunday. We stayed in the hot sulphur springs resort and spa, a place probably built in the fifties and not updated. There was a mix up on the rooms so I ended up on the floor between Ralph and tom who both got in early enough to claim beds. We were literally right on a very active railroad line that had freight trains coming through every hour until about 1:00am with long loud whistle blasts just as they our window. Started riding this morning with an angry dark sky and only 44 degrees. I felt just plain weak. I stopped twice to check my bike. It felt like my brakes were dragging. I kept plugging away. The weather cleared after a couple of hours and the temp rose quickly making me feel much better. The first 29 miles took us gradually up 2000 feet to willow creek pass that topped out at 9600 feet crossing back over the continental divide to the atlantic side. Before we’re done we will have crossed the divide 5 times. The rest of the ride was a declining terrain into walden at 8100 feet and a total ride of 61 miles. Sleeping in a town park with showers in town at the Laundromat. Kill 2 birds with one stone.
Saturday. We started out of Breckenridge on a 75 mile ride at about 40 degrees. We took an off road bike trail that meandered through fields and forest from Breckenridge through frisco over the Dillon lake dam and ending in Silverthorne. Most of the ride was gently down hill following the blue river, then the Colorado river came into play and we ended in hot sulphur springs near the Colorado river head waters.
Breckenridge. To backtrack a bit I need to mention a strange phenomenon that occurred. I’ll call it biker syndrome. When driving the rental car that caryn arrived in I had a lot of trouble going more than 25 m.p.h. after spending 7 weeks at 10-14 m.p.h driving at 25 felt like I was breaking the sound barrier. I forced myself up to about 40 but it was very uncomfortable. I learned that josh is in very good physical condition. While riding up hoosier pass I was suffering from the altitude so josh rode ahead. What I didn’t realize is he rode all the way to the top turned around and came halfway down to meet me and escort me to the summit. Thursday night became a large dinner party. With all the visiting family in town we numbered aprox. 20. Friday morning was set aside for a few errands. Anida and Dick arrived at miday. The four of us had lunch catching up on family news and hung out at the brew pub most of the afternoon. I was introduced to all kinds of micro brews. They needed to be back in ft. Collins by early evening so couldn’t join josh, Tanya, and zoe for dinner. Zoe has grown a lot since we saw her last summer and she is certifiably adorable. Caryn’s visit was great but sadly had to end at 6:30am Saturday morning. She headed back to the airport and I got on my bike.

zoe tanya josh caryn joe in breckenridge

anida dick caryn joe in breckenrige