Day 14: Greybull, WY to Sheridan, WY
Distance: 97 miles
Route: Route 14E through the Big Horn Mountains
Lodging: Sundown Motel, $55
Today I started my ride around 8am. I had to schedule around a phone call I had at 10am about my fall externship. I knew I wouldn't have service in the mountains, so I found the last place to stop before hitting the Big Horns and decided to take the call there. The last stop was Dirty Annie's, 17 miles from my hotel in Greybull.
I got to Dirty Annie's at 9:15am and realized I had no cell service, go figure. I decided to kill some time by having a good, healthy breakfast. Also, I hadn't had coffee yet. Again, criminal.
I had coffee, a waffle, and a cinnamon roll (or frosting of a cinnamon roll - we all have our weaknesses). After I ordered, I realized I could have had some protein - something I'm having a hard time getting enough of on this ride. I instinctively order things that I can drench in syrup, which I should alter for the sake of my health. Anyway.
Around 9:50 I went outside to try to figure out how I was going to negotiate this call. Phone was still a no-go (and they were supposed to call me), so i called them on a pay phone and gave them that number to call me. Ten minutes later I realized the phone doesn't take incoming calls. I called them back and just sat on hold until they were ready for me.
I finished the call, tried to get mace inside Dirty Annie's to appease my mother, got some advil for what had been promised to me as a very difficult ride, and got scared even more by a girl who worked there and called me crazy.
I started the ride a little before 11am. I passed the sign that gave mileage to the peak (or close to): 31 miles and to my destination, Sheridan: 81 miles. About 3 miles in, the climb began. It was somewhat gradual, but steep enough that I had my bike on its lowest gear. I was pushing hard and barely surpassing 4-5MPH. I got into a rhythm and just pushed.
The switchbacks were intense. There was no letting up. There were maybe 2 flat periods the entire climb. I was sweating, drenched, but I just focused on getting up the mountain. I didn't want to stop, but my tire lost a lot of air, so I stopped once to fill it.
Finally, I turned a corner and saw an elevation sign. Typically that means you're at the top. Granite Pass - 9033 Ft. I started around 3000FT. Brutal. It was like 2 or 2:30. Three to 3.5 hours of uphill biking.
It was there that I realized it was FREEZING. Once i had stopped, my sweaty shirt felt really cold. I put on my jacket and started biking again. it was all downhill. I was kicking ass. But it was freezing and soon I couldn't feel my hands or my feet.
I stopped at a lake to have a snack, then kept going. THEN, there was construction on the road. I felt like this wasn't really fair. I worked SO HARD getting up and now i couldn't cruise the down part. Doesn't that seem unfair? I was pissed. The pavement would go out, I would ride, then hear a large vehicle behind me, unclip, and pull over. It was annoying. Finally, I hit the bottom. I was in Dayton, WY
I had a drink at a gas station and called my parents. I tried to decide if I could make it the 20 more miles to Sheridan. I felt emboldened by my diet coke rush, so I decided to go for it. I made a quick reservation at the cheapest motel i could find and took off.
I rode on route 14E and then it turned into I-90. I rode on I-90 for 12 miles. I guess people ride their bikes on the interstate out here, but I hate it. I did it, but I hate it. There's something unsettling about having a huge truck wiz past you.
Finally, I got to Sheridan. I pulled into my awesome motel and talked to the owner. He gave me some advice - like to check out Devil's Tower (may not logistically work). He asked me how old I was, I made him guess, he guessed 22-23. He is my new best friend.
I ordered a sandwich from Dominos (shockingly good toasted sandwiches). I may or may not have also ordered Cinna-sticks - a fantastic use of pizza dough, covered in cinnamon and sugar and served with a tub of icing.
Tomorrow, I go to Gillette via 14E, which takes you 30 miles out of the way in comparison to I-90. Again, seems unfair.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Biking, Day 13: 7/29/2009
Day 13: Wapiti, WY to Greybull, WY
Distance: 75 miles
Route: Rte 14/16/20E to Cody, WY continue Rte 14E to Greybull, WY
Lodging: The Antler Motel, the 'Rustic Cabin', $40, bathroom outside my adorable cabin
I woke up today in Wapiti and it was cold and rainy. I decided to ride to Cody and see if the weather got any better. The ride to Cody was about 25 miles. It took a long time. There was significant headwind and I only survived because the ride is somewhat downhill.
I got to Cody and started looking for a place for coffee (I had had a mere dixie cup worth before I left). I saw the Sierra Trading Post, which was recommended by Bex, so I decided to stop and warm up, get some gloves, and extra socks. Seriously, it was really, really cold. I bought the needed stuff and then got back on the bike and headed into the town of Cody.
Cody is really adorable. There's lots of Buffalo Bill stuff, including the museum which was highly recommended to me by MC. I did not go to the museum. My need for coffee surpassed any desire to educate the self.
I went to an adorable coffee shop, called Rawhide Coffee, to figure out my next move. I got coffee (very good coffee) and sat on an awesome leather couch whilst using the free wifi. The weather looked like it was going to warm up a bit , stay windy, and then the rain would come around 4PM. I made the executive decision to forge on to Greybull - 53 miles away.
The ride actually went really quickly. I had my fastest pace so far. The wind was bad, but it was primarily sidewind, which meant that I just had to be careful going downhill too quickly.
When I got to Greybull, I went to the hotel that I had a reservation at and there was a sign on the office door that said "I'm not around, but I will be back in a while. Give me a call if you want a room or something. 307-xxx-xxxx. - Tom" I decided to go across the street to the better looking motel, the Antler motel. I got a little cabin there for $40. It was actually quite cute. The only negative was that the bathroom was across the parking lot. I figured it wouldn't be so bad.
I showered, biked into town to see what it was like (Western, sparsely populated, quiet). I went to the bank. I got some groceries. I came back to my mini-cabin and started planning my next day. I had initially planned to take 16, cut through Basin and Hyattville, then go through the Big horn Mountains and stay in Buffalo. 116 miles. I had to arrange it around a call for my fall externship which was scheduled for 10am. I did some updating to facebook/blog and went to bed.
In the middle of the night, I got up. I don't know why. I tried to find any info on the two different roads that go through the Big Horn Mountains - 14 and 16. Everyone who blogged about it said they were both killer passes. I decided maybe doing 116 was aggressive, especially with my 10am call. I decided to do Route 14, ending in Sheridan, 96 miles.
Distance: 75 miles
Route: Rte 14/16/20E to Cody, WY continue Rte 14E to Greybull, WY
Lodging: The Antler Motel, the 'Rustic Cabin', $40, bathroom outside my adorable cabin
I woke up today in Wapiti and it was cold and rainy. I decided to ride to Cody and see if the weather got any better. The ride to Cody was about 25 miles. It took a long time. There was significant headwind and I only survived because the ride is somewhat downhill.
I got to Cody and started looking for a place for coffee (I had had a mere dixie cup worth before I left). I saw the Sierra Trading Post, which was recommended by Bex, so I decided to stop and warm up, get some gloves, and extra socks. Seriously, it was really, really cold. I bought the needed stuff and then got back on the bike and headed into the town of Cody.
Cody is really adorable. There's lots of Buffalo Bill stuff, including the museum which was highly recommended to me by MC. I did not go to the museum. My need for coffee surpassed any desire to educate the self.
I went to an adorable coffee shop, called Rawhide Coffee, to figure out my next move. I got coffee (very good coffee) and sat on an awesome leather couch whilst using the free wifi. The weather looked like it was going to warm up a bit , stay windy, and then the rain would come around 4PM. I made the executive decision to forge on to Greybull - 53 miles away.
The ride actually went really quickly. I had my fastest pace so far. The wind was bad, but it was primarily sidewind, which meant that I just had to be careful going downhill too quickly.
When I got to Greybull, I went to the hotel that I had a reservation at and there was a sign on the office door that said "I'm not around, but I will be back in a while. Give me a call if you want a room or something. 307-xxx-xxxx. - Tom" I decided to go across the street to the better looking motel, the Antler motel. I got a little cabin there for $40. It was actually quite cute. The only negative was that the bathroom was across the parking lot. I figured it wouldn't be so bad.
I showered, biked into town to see what it was like (Western, sparsely populated, quiet). I went to the bank. I got some groceries. I came back to my mini-cabin and started planning my next day. I had initially planned to take 16, cut through Basin and Hyattville, then go through the Big horn Mountains and stay in Buffalo. 116 miles. I had to arrange it around a call for my fall externship which was scheduled for 10am. I did some updating to facebook/blog and went to bed.
In the middle of the night, I got up. I don't know why. I tried to find any info on the two different roads that go through the Big Horn Mountains - 14 and 16. Everyone who blogged about it said they were both killer passes. I decided maybe doing 116 was aggressive, especially with my 10am call. I decided to do Route 14, ending in Sheridan, 96 miles.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Biking, Day 12: 7/28/2009
Day 12: Gardiner, MT to Wapiti, WY
Distance: 113 miles
Route: Through Yellowstone - down to Norris, then Canyon Village, then Fisherman Village, then out the East Entrance onto 14/16/20 East
Lodging: Green Creek Inn and RV Park, $90, good clean lodging, a little over priced, owner super nice
I started the day around 6:30am WITHOUT coffee. My crappy motel, the Westernaire, doesn't even have coffee for their guests. Personally, I think this is criminal. I headed into the little town of Gardiner, hoping to get some coffee before I hit the park, but nothing was open. With no other option, I headed into I headed into Yellowstone. I used the pass that I got with the Jenni's the day before. Here's the deal with passes into Yellowstone: $25 for a car, good for one week, but you can't exit the park. $12 for bikes. So, I said they were still in the park and I had just left to get my bike. The woman was confused, but I talked my way out of it. Saving $12 = a good thing. I mean, I get charging cars (although, I think $25 is a bit high), but bikes?
My goal was to get to Mammoth Springs - about 6 miles - sans coffee, have my coffee there, then proceed. The ride to Mammoth was HARD. not only was it super cold, being 730am and all, but it was all uphill. I increased my altitude about 1500 Feet. It took almost an hour to get to Mammoth. I was rewarded with overpriced, very poor coffee. I sat for about 30 minutes, removed my layers and started riding again.
The ride was gorgeous. I went south from Mammoth Falls to Norris, where I had gone the day before with the jenni's. The first part was super hard - huge inclines. I had to stop a few times to get my seat position right. From Norris I went East to Canyon City, then to Fisherman Village. At Fisherman Village, I took a break, got a water and a snack. When I was sitting there, a guy started talking to me. He was from Buffalo, WY, east of the park, so I asked him advice on routes (since I'm heading east). He's also a biker (more of a weekend warrior) and advised going to Greybull, then heading to Buffalo via route 16. At Greybull, the route I was going to take - 14/16/20 - splits. 14 goes north to Sheridan and 16 goes south. He gave me some advice on roads off 16. I appreciated his advice. As I was leaving, he came over, gave me his card and said if i did end up in Buffalo, I should give him a call to 'grab a beer or something'.
I continued on. The next 27 miles out of the park were gorgeous, but hilly. I went to a top altitude of 8500 feet.
The last 5 miles were all downhill. I stopped at the first place after the exit for a drink. There, another guy started talking to me. he also advised me to go to Greybull. he said if I went north to Sheridan, do NOT go through Lovell because there's a huge hill/mountain I would have to summit. Good advice to have. He was not a biker, just a local. he also said that the badlands were TOTALLY worth going through, as is Wall Drug.
I continued on. The last 25-30 miles to Wapiti were hell. It should have been an easy ride, but the headwind was intense. I could barely keep my bike upright. I thought the whole point of going West to East was the wind! I don't understand why the wind keeps being so bothersome.
Finally, I rolled up to my motel - the Green Creek Inn and RV Park. it was much nicer than I expected! (but not worth the $90). I got in between 6PM and 7pm. A long day, but I had covered 115 miles or so of pretty mountainous terrain.
The owner of the motel/RV park was pretty cool. When I asked where to get food, he offered to make me a pizza. I accepted. I did laundry. In a real washer and dryer. I updated the blog, found my route, and wrote to MC (but the email bounced back! not sure how to remedy that).
Tomorrow, I head to Greybull.
Distance: 113 miles
Route: Through Yellowstone - down to Norris, then Canyon Village, then Fisherman Village, then out the East Entrance onto 14/16/20 East
Lodging: Green Creek Inn and RV Park, $90, good clean lodging, a little over priced, owner super nice
I started the day around 6:30am WITHOUT coffee. My crappy motel, the Westernaire, doesn't even have coffee for their guests. Personally, I think this is criminal. I headed into the little town of Gardiner, hoping to get some coffee before I hit the park, but nothing was open. With no other option, I headed into I headed into Yellowstone. I used the pass that I got with the Jenni's the day before. Here's the deal with passes into Yellowstone: $25 for a car, good for one week, but you can't exit the park. $12 for bikes. So, I said they were still in the park and I had just left to get my bike. The woman was confused, but I talked my way out of it. Saving $12 = a good thing. I mean, I get charging cars (although, I think $25 is a bit high), but bikes?
My goal was to get to Mammoth Springs - about 6 miles - sans coffee, have my coffee there, then proceed. The ride to Mammoth was HARD. not only was it super cold, being 730am and all, but it was all uphill. I increased my altitude about 1500 Feet. It took almost an hour to get to Mammoth. I was rewarded with overpriced, very poor coffee. I sat for about 30 minutes, removed my layers and started riding again.
The ride was gorgeous. I went south from Mammoth Falls to Norris, where I had gone the day before with the jenni's. The first part was super hard - huge inclines. I had to stop a few times to get my seat position right. From Norris I went East to Canyon City, then to Fisherman Village. At Fisherman Village, I took a break, got a water and a snack. When I was sitting there, a guy started talking to me. He was from Buffalo, WY, east of the park, so I asked him advice on routes (since I'm heading east). He's also a biker (more of a weekend warrior) and advised going to Greybull, then heading to Buffalo via route 16. At Greybull, the route I was going to take - 14/16/20 - splits. 14 goes north to Sheridan and 16 goes south. He gave me some advice on roads off 16. I appreciated his advice. As I was leaving, he came over, gave me his card and said if i did end up in Buffalo, I should give him a call to 'grab a beer or something'.
I continued on. The next 27 miles out of the park were gorgeous, but hilly. I went to a top altitude of 8500 feet.
The last 5 miles were all downhill. I stopped at the first place after the exit for a drink. There, another guy started talking to me. he also advised me to go to Greybull. he said if I went north to Sheridan, do NOT go through Lovell because there's a huge hill/mountain I would have to summit. Good advice to have. He was not a biker, just a local. he also said that the badlands were TOTALLY worth going through, as is Wall Drug.
I continued on. The last 25-30 miles to Wapiti were hell. It should have been an easy ride, but the headwind was intense. I could barely keep my bike upright. I thought the whole point of going West to East was the wind! I don't understand why the wind keeps being so bothersome.
Finally, I rolled up to my motel - the Green Creek Inn and RV Park. it was much nicer than I expected! (but not worth the $90). I got in between 6PM and 7pm. A long day, but I had covered 115 miles or so of pretty mountainous terrain.
The owner of the motel/RV park was pretty cool. When I asked where to get food, he offered to make me a pizza. I accepted. I did laundry. In a real washer and dryer. I updated the blog, found my route, and wrote to MC (but the email bounced back! not sure how to remedy that).
Tomorrow, I head to Greybull.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Biking, Day 11: 7/27/2009
Day 11: Pray, MT to Gardiner, MT
Distance: 35 miles (via subaru)
Route: 89 South the entire way
Lodging: Westernaire Motel, $90/night, total rip off
Today I woke up,looked out thewindow, and was sort of excited it was raining. I had done 10 days straight, 900 miles or more (plus a lot of mountain climbing whilst pushing a bike) and was ready for a rest day. It's hard for me to take a rest day, but my body really needed it. I was having a hard time walking, was just exhausted. 100 miles a day is a lot, for anyone. I went downstairs, got coffee, and told them I wanted the room for another night. Well, the lady informed me, there were no rooms available. Bullocks. I asked the possibility of a cancellation and she told me the policy – 48 hours advance. Hmm. She suggested I hang out until 11am or so to see if there were cancellations.
I went to my room to map out routes. I came downstairs about every hour to check on cancellations (I went down at 7am the first time). At ten, I decided it was time to face reality and get moving. I could go to Gardiner, MT, 35 miles down the road at the entrance to Yellowstone. I looked for places to stay there and, with mother's help, found an over-priced motel. I packed up, went downstairs, and started getting on my bike gear.
As I was getting ready to get on and ride, a mid to late-30s, athletic-looking woman came over and asked how my ride was going so far. I said good, that I was making good progress, but that I really had wanted to take today off, but the hotel was sold out. She said that she had also wanted to stay another night and was told the same thing – that the hotel was sold out. She mentioned that she used to ride bikes professionally, and now coached. She had lots of friends who toured, but had never done any touring herself. As we talked, she then offered to take me down the road to the next town. I accepted.
We loaded up MC (Mary Catherine)'s, Subaru, threw the bike on top, got some snacks for her two girls, Ruby (age 5) and Ellie (age 7) and started down the road.
MC was super cool – grew up in Missoula, went to college in Colorado, traveled the world leading expeditions, teaching ESL to Japanese, etc. She married Tom, who she had known much of her life, and who is a fly fisherman and owns his own outfitter. He was out fly fishing, which is why he wasn't with them for the day and why the golden seat in the Subaru was available for me. MC had done a variety of jobs from leading expeditions, to teaching, to now coaching biking, being a trainer, and being a life coach. She mentioned that 100 miles a day was pretty far. I concurred.
When we got down to the next town, MC offered to let me hang out with them and to show me yellowstone. Since I had decided to take the day and rest, I was totally down for a guided tour of Yellowstone by a very cool woman and two very adorable and well-behaved girls.
The tour was awesome – we saw Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris and the Steamboat Geyser, and a few other stops along the way. The way MC taught her children is the way I would want to teach mine – they saw, asked questions, and she explained things. I actually learned a ton. Yellowstone is a huge volcano! You can fall through the surface and boil (and people have)! There used to be way more surface water at Mammoth! Even cooler was stepping into their life for a brief moment. For the first time in a long time (maybe ever), I could see myself having kids – granted,these kids were very tolerable and cute – but watching how a cool, smart, athletic mother, well, mothers, was very neat. Also, hearing about MC's life was interesting – she got into bike racing while getting her master's degree, she got her MA degree in Reno, NV, had her first kid when she was 37 (which makes her 44 – she doesn't look a day over 36), built her own house with her husband, and has managed to find new, interesting ways to make a living. The fact that they took me, a complete stranger, in for the day is telling on how they live life. It was refreshing.
Additionally, she gave me tips on biking (protein, electrolytes), told me about how horrible gluten is, and promised to introduce me to her friend who tours and told me about a ride I should do that goes from DC to NYC – www.climateride.com
Beyond spending the day learning about Geysers and the Jenni family, that was pretty much it. I decided I would head through the park by bike tomorrow and go through the east exit toward Cody, WY. I won't make it to Cody – 131 miles – so I booked a place in Wapiti – 115 miles.
Distance: 35 miles (via subaru)
Route: 89 South the entire way
Lodging: Westernaire Motel, $90/night, total rip off
Today I woke up,looked out thewindow, and was sort of excited it was raining. I had done 10 days straight, 900 miles or more (plus a lot of mountain climbing whilst pushing a bike) and was ready for a rest day. It's hard for me to take a rest day, but my body really needed it. I was having a hard time walking, was just exhausted. 100 miles a day is a lot, for anyone. I went downstairs, got coffee, and told them I wanted the room for another night. Well, the lady informed me, there were no rooms available. Bullocks. I asked the possibility of a cancellation and she told me the policy – 48 hours advance. Hmm. She suggested I hang out until 11am or so to see if there were cancellations.
I went to my room to map out routes. I came downstairs about every hour to check on cancellations (I went down at 7am the first time). At ten, I decided it was time to face reality and get moving. I could go to Gardiner, MT, 35 miles down the road at the entrance to Yellowstone. I looked for places to stay there and, with mother's help, found an over-priced motel. I packed up, went downstairs, and started getting on my bike gear.
As I was getting ready to get on and ride, a mid to late-30s, athletic-looking woman came over and asked how my ride was going so far. I said good, that I was making good progress, but that I really had wanted to take today off, but the hotel was sold out. She said that she had also wanted to stay another night and was told the same thing – that the hotel was sold out. She mentioned that she used to ride bikes professionally, and now coached. She had lots of friends who toured, but had never done any touring herself. As we talked, she then offered to take me down the road to the next town. I accepted.
We loaded up MC (Mary Catherine)'s, Subaru, threw the bike on top, got some snacks for her two girls, Ruby (age 5) and Ellie (age 7) and started down the road.
MC was super cool – grew up in Missoula, went to college in Colorado, traveled the world leading expeditions, teaching ESL to Japanese, etc. She married Tom, who she had known much of her life, and who is a fly fisherman and owns his own outfitter. He was out fly fishing, which is why he wasn't with them for the day and why the golden seat in the Subaru was available for me. MC had done a variety of jobs from leading expeditions, to teaching, to now coaching biking, being a trainer, and being a life coach. She mentioned that 100 miles a day was pretty far. I concurred.
When we got down to the next town, MC offered to let me hang out with them and to show me yellowstone. Since I had decided to take the day and rest, I was totally down for a guided tour of Yellowstone by a very cool woman and two very adorable and well-behaved girls.
The tour was awesome – we saw Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris and the Steamboat Geyser, and a few other stops along the way. The way MC taught her children is the way I would want to teach mine – they saw, asked questions, and she explained things. I actually learned a ton. Yellowstone is a huge volcano! You can fall through the surface and boil (and people have)! There used to be way more surface water at Mammoth! Even cooler was stepping into their life for a brief moment. For the first time in a long time (maybe ever), I could see myself having kids – granted,these kids were very tolerable and cute – but watching how a cool, smart, athletic mother, well, mothers, was very neat. Also, hearing about MC's life was interesting – she got into bike racing while getting her master's degree, she got her MA degree in Reno, NV, had her first kid when she was 37 (which makes her 44 – she doesn't look a day over 36), built her own house with her husband, and has managed to find new, interesting ways to make a living. The fact that they took me, a complete stranger, in for the day is telling on how they live life. It was refreshing.
Additionally, she gave me tips on biking (protein, electrolytes), told me about how horrible gluten is, and promised to introduce me to her friend who tours and told me about a ride I should do that goes from DC to NYC – www.climateride.com
Beyond spending the day learning about Geysers and the Jenni family, that was pretty much it. I decided I would head through the park by bike tomorrow and go through the east exit toward Cody, WY. I won't make it to Cody – 131 miles – so I booked a place in Wapiti – 115 miles.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Biking, Day 10: 7/26/2009
Day 10: Bozeman, MT to Pray, MT
Distance: 55 miles (should have been 45)
Route: Rte 86 to the back roads of MT to Trail Creek Road to Route 89 to Mill Creek to East River Dr
Lodging: Chico Hot Springs Resort and Day Spa, $49 in main lodge with shared bathroom, http://www.chicohotsprings.com/
I slept in until 7:15 today. i got my free breakfast - coffee, an incredibly large, incredibly soaked-in-syrup waffle, and some cereal. I was hungry, and I never eat breakfast. I went online to figure out where i wanted to end up - in Gardiner (90 miles), Livingston (30 miles), or somewhere in between. In my research, I discovered the Chico Hot Springs Resort and Day Spa. Smack dab in the middle of Livingston and Gardiner. I called, they had a single room for the bargain price of $49. I booked it. I took my time getting ready and digesting my mammoth waffle, got my directions and went on my way. I left around 10:15am.
I left my hotel and biked slowly. My body was really tired and I just wanted to take it easy, get to the spa, and chillax. The first 8 miles of the ride were beautiful. The back part of Bozeman where rich people come and build stunning vacation or retirement homes. I continued on the route that googlemaps gave me and the scenery couldn't have been better. it was hot, though, and hilly, so i took it easy.
After 16 miles or so, my road turned to dirt. But I looked at my directions and I was only supposed to be on it for 2 miles, so i forged on. As I went over a hill, three dogs appeared. They looked fierce. They had no discernible owner. They started after me. I rode and got away from them, but then I realized I was a bit lost. Or was I? I didn't know if I had taken the correct turn, but clearly I couldn't go back. I could see I-90 from where i was, so I wasn't too concerned, but I felt lost. Again.
I went up another dirt road and saw a paved road parallel to it through some brush. I backtracked and found the road that met up with the paved one. My directions said i was supposed to take Trail Creek Road for 17 miles. This road looked significant. According to the map, it was perpendicular to I-90, which seemed right. Also,on I-90 I saw a sign that said 'Trail Creek Road'. I hoped that I was on it.
I rode on this road for a few miles searching for any signage or indication that this was the correct road. Finally, after 3 miles, there was a sign that said Trail Creek Road. Fantastic! At least I was on the right road. 17 miles on this, then another road, then the hotel. About 25 miles left.
In another 2 miles, the road turned to gravel. Ok, seriously. This was a VERY well-developed road. Painted lines, decent traffic, even an exit off the highway. And now it was gravel. I walked my bike for a bit then flagged down a car. I asked the guy how long it was gravel and if this road met up with 89. It was gravel for the duration. it hit 89, but not for a while, he said. Indeed, my directions said about 13 more miles. He suggestedthat I cut off 5 miles of Trail Creek by taking a left on Divide Road in about 8 miles, then this road cut to 89.
I continued on Trail Creek, probably completely ruining my bike. The views were incredible, but it was starting to get hot. Plus, riding on gravel with my little tires was not easy.
I turned on Divide and rode it to 89. It was a long road. I wondered if it really cut off anything. When I finally hit 89, I was more north than I expected. I added like 10 miles to my ride.
Ahead of me, a fierce storm was a brewing. I continued to ride, there was no where to find shelter. Finally, I came upon an art gallery of sorts.
I pulled into the parking lot and asked the guy working there if he had water. I bought some water and asked him if I could stay under the porch until the storm passed. He agreed. His name was Tom. He got up and fed trail mix to a bunch of goats.They were adorable! He told me he had bottle fed them and they were his pets. We sat on the porch and talked. Saphire, one of the goats, sat on my lap.
Tom grew up in SD, did a lot of manual labor jobs and came to MT to live on the land, get away from people, and create his art. He actually does really cool art – www.tommosher.com. He works with steel and whatever the land provides.He often does stuff with dead animals - furs, skulls, etc but he doesn't kill them 'he has no desire'. Tom was interesting, and very nice to let me seek shelter under his porch. He also fancied himself a ladies man. He said he was the best looking guy in the valley (Paradise Valley, MT). When I finally decided it was safe to go off and ride, and Tom and I parted ways, he gave me his card.He also mentioned that maybe he would come to Chico for dinner.
I rode off and went the 7 miles or so to the Chico Resort and Day Spa. It was pretty gorgeous. I checked in, went to my room, and showered. I went down to the 'Saloon' for dinner - salad and nachos. The resort was packed. Lots of families, young people, etc. It would be awesome to come back here and really explore the spa or hang out with friends. Alone, when i could barely walk and I could barely keep my eyes open, it was less fun.
I decided I would take the next day off if it was bad weather. I prayed for bad weather.
Distance: 55 miles (should have been 45)
Route: Rte 86 to the back roads of MT to Trail Creek Road to Route 89 to Mill Creek to East River Dr
Lodging: Chico Hot Springs Resort and Day Spa, $49 in main lodge with shared bathroom, http://www.chicohotsprings.com/
I slept in until 7:15 today. i got my free breakfast - coffee, an incredibly large, incredibly soaked-in-syrup waffle, and some cereal. I was hungry, and I never eat breakfast. I went online to figure out where i wanted to end up - in Gardiner (90 miles), Livingston (30 miles), or somewhere in between. In my research, I discovered the Chico Hot Springs Resort and Day Spa. Smack dab in the middle of Livingston and Gardiner. I called, they had a single room for the bargain price of $49. I booked it. I took my time getting ready and digesting my mammoth waffle, got my directions and went on my way. I left around 10:15am.
I left my hotel and biked slowly. My body was really tired and I just wanted to take it easy, get to the spa, and chillax. The first 8 miles of the ride were beautiful. The back part of Bozeman where rich people come and build stunning vacation or retirement homes. I continued on the route that googlemaps gave me and the scenery couldn't have been better. it was hot, though, and hilly, so i took it easy.
After 16 miles or so, my road turned to dirt. But I looked at my directions and I was only supposed to be on it for 2 miles, so i forged on. As I went over a hill, three dogs appeared. They looked fierce. They had no discernible owner. They started after me. I rode and got away from them, but then I realized I was a bit lost. Or was I? I didn't know if I had taken the correct turn, but clearly I couldn't go back. I could see I-90 from where i was, so I wasn't too concerned, but I felt lost. Again.
I went up another dirt road and saw a paved road parallel to it through some brush. I backtracked and found the road that met up with the paved one. My directions said i was supposed to take Trail Creek Road for 17 miles. This road looked significant. According to the map, it was perpendicular to I-90, which seemed right. Also,on I-90 I saw a sign that said 'Trail Creek Road'. I hoped that I was on it.
I rode on this road for a few miles searching for any signage or indication that this was the correct road. Finally, after 3 miles, there was a sign that said Trail Creek Road. Fantastic! At least I was on the right road. 17 miles on this, then another road, then the hotel. About 25 miles left.
In another 2 miles, the road turned to gravel. Ok, seriously. This was a VERY well-developed road. Painted lines, decent traffic, even an exit off the highway. And now it was gravel. I walked my bike for a bit then flagged down a car. I asked the guy how long it was gravel and if this road met up with 89. It was gravel for the duration. it hit 89, but not for a while, he said. Indeed, my directions said about 13 more miles. He suggestedthat I cut off 5 miles of Trail Creek by taking a left on Divide Road in about 8 miles, then this road cut to 89.
I continued on Trail Creek, probably completely ruining my bike. The views were incredible, but it was starting to get hot. Plus, riding on gravel with my little tires was not easy.
I turned on Divide and rode it to 89. It was a long road. I wondered if it really cut off anything. When I finally hit 89, I was more north than I expected. I added like 10 miles to my ride.
Ahead of me, a fierce storm was a brewing. I continued to ride, there was no where to find shelter. Finally, I came upon an art gallery of sorts.
I pulled into the parking lot and asked the guy working there if he had water. I bought some water and asked him if I could stay under the porch until the storm passed. He agreed. His name was Tom. He got up and fed trail mix to a bunch of goats.They were adorable! He told me he had bottle fed them and they were his pets. We sat on the porch and talked. Saphire, one of the goats, sat on my lap.
Tom grew up in SD, did a lot of manual labor jobs and came to MT to live on the land, get away from people, and create his art. He actually does really cool art – www.tommosher.com. He works with steel and whatever the land provides.He often does stuff with dead animals - furs, skulls, etc but he doesn't kill them 'he has no desire'. Tom was interesting, and very nice to let me seek shelter under his porch. He also fancied himself a ladies man. He said he was the best looking guy in the valley (Paradise Valley, MT). When I finally decided it was safe to go off and ride, and Tom and I parted ways, he gave me his card.He also mentioned that maybe he would come to Chico for dinner.
I rode off and went the 7 miles or so to the Chico Resort and Day Spa. It was pretty gorgeous. I checked in, went to my room, and showered. I went down to the 'Saloon' for dinner - salad and nachos. The resort was packed. Lots of families, young people, etc. It would be awesome to come back here and really explore the spa or hang out with friends. Alone, when i could barely walk and I could barely keep my eyes open, it was less fun.
I decided I would take the next day off if it was bad weather. I prayed for bad weather.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Biking, Day 9: 7/25/2009
Day 9: Helena, MT to Bozeman, MT
Distance: 110 miles (should have been 94)
Route: MT Route 12/287, continue on 287, cut down Frontage Road East to Bozeman (missed that turn...)
Lodging: Fairfield Inn and Suites, $45/night via Priceline
I let myself sleep in until 6am today. I know, decadent. I had a hard time sleeping last night, woke up a bunch of times and even stayed up and did some mapping on my computer.
I got on my bike around 7am and realized it was a Saturday morning - not much traffic. I was tired, sore. Decided to take it easy today. After all, 94 miles should feel easier than the 125 of yesterday.
The morning was beautiful again and I rode out of Helena on Route 12E/287S. The first 30 miles were pretty easy. I stopped once to stretch and got to Townsend, MT for my morning coffee break around 945am. I had coffee and a snack and talked to mom on the phone. There was some headwind, so the ride wasn't going too quickly.
After my break in Townsend, I continued on 287S toward Three Forks. It started getting ridiculously hot. This is why I start biking at 6am. The weather has been in the mid-90s during the peak heat of the day. The view of the mountains was gorgeous, though.
I got to Three Forks and stopped for some water and a snack. I looked at my phone GPS and realized I had missed my turnoff to Bozeman. Bullocks. I asked the woman who worked at the gas station how to get to Frontage Road. She told me and I headed out.
I followed the woman's directions and was about ten miles outside of town when I looked at my GPS and realized I had turned the wrong direction. She had given me the correct directions to Frontage Road, but I failed to tell her I wanted to go toward Bozeman. So, instead of 20 miles left, I had 40. I was exhausted. I can't fully articulate how hard mentally it is to ride so far and realize a mistake like this.
I passed another biker and asked him if I was now going the right way. he was riding around looking for the course for a Tri he was doing the following day. He pointed me in the right direction and showed me a little shortcut. I was hot, tired, and irritated. I told him if his short cut was wrong, I would come find him. Probably not the best representation of Western Hospitality.
I rode on and got to the road I had been looking for - frontage road. I road for a few miles then stopped to fill my tires with air. It was so hot, I can't even explain. I was so mad at myself for taking the wrong turn. My body is really starting to break down a bit.
Which brings me to some commentary on this adventure. I have had a lot of people tell me they wish they were joining me, wish I had told them I was doing this, etc. I am definitely having a great adventure, but it is full of ups and downs. Riding 100+ miles a day is not easy. Navigating parts of the country that you have never been is not easy. Dealing with being outside all day in the heat and not knowing when there will be a little convenient store is not easy. This is truly not for everyone. My body is in a lot of pain from the muscle aches, to pure exhaustion, to sunburn, to chaffing in unfortunate places. I have kept my cool most of the time, but have had huge moments of frustration. And no one to share them with. Doing this alone, navigating, being fully responsible whether you get lost, can't change a tire, etc is tiring. Mentally, i have had a lot of ups and downs. While this is an adventure, it is also a challenge. And something really isnt a challenge unless it is hard. This is hard. Some parts of days I feel like I just can't make my bike go anymore. But I have to because I don't have a back up plan for the day - there's no vehicle following me, usually no little towns in between destinations with motels, etc. Ok, enough of that.
I rode through a few little towns in the last 30 miles to Bozeman - Manhattan, MT, where I procured a diet coke from a pop machine, another stop for water. Finally, I started pulling into Bozeman. Just as I was rolling in, so was a ridiculous hail storm. I took a picture and when i started riding again the wind had gotten so intense that I could barely pedal anymore, I was almost getting knocked off my bike. Luckily, my hotel was like a mile away.
I got to my hotel, checked in, ordered Mexican, talked to the parents, and went to bed. I decided I would take the next day, Sunday, easy - either go to Livingston, MT about 30 miles away from Bozeman or go to somewhere in between Gardiner, at the north entrance to Yellowstone, and Livingston.
Distance: 110 miles (should have been 94)
Route: MT Route 12/287, continue on 287, cut down Frontage Road East to Bozeman (missed that turn...)
Lodging: Fairfield Inn and Suites, $45/night via Priceline
I let myself sleep in until 6am today. I know, decadent. I had a hard time sleeping last night, woke up a bunch of times and even stayed up and did some mapping on my computer.
I got on my bike around 7am and realized it was a Saturday morning - not much traffic. I was tired, sore. Decided to take it easy today. After all, 94 miles should feel easier than the 125 of yesterday.
The morning was beautiful again and I rode out of Helena on Route 12E/287S. The first 30 miles were pretty easy. I stopped once to stretch and got to Townsend, MT for my morning coffee break around 945am. I had coffee and a snack and talked to mom on the phone. There was some headwind, so the ride wasn't going too quickly.
After my break in Townsend, I continued on 287S toward Three Forks. It started getting ridiculously hot. This is why I start biking at 6am. The weather has been in the mid-90s during the peak heat of the day. The view of the mountains was gorgeous, though.
I got to Three Forks and stopped for some water and a snack. I looked at my phone GPS and realized I had missed my turnoff to Bozeman. Bullocks. I asked the woman who worked at the gas station how to get to Frontage Road. She told me and I headed out.
I followed the woman's directions and was about ten miles outside of town when I looked at my GPS and realized I had turned the wrong direction. She had given me the correct directions to Frontage Road, but I failed to tell her I wanted to go toward Bozeman. So, instead of 20 miles left, I had 40. I was exhausted. I can't fully articulate how hard mentally it is to ride so far and realize a mistake like this.
I passed another biker and asked him if I was now going the right way. he was riding around looking for the course for a Tri he was doing the following day. He pointed me in the right direction and showed me a little shortcut. I was hot, tired, and irritated. I told him if his short cut was wrong, I would come find him. Probably not the best representation of Western Hospitality.
I rode on and got to the road I had been looking for - frontage road. I road for a few miles then stopped to fill my tires with air. It was so hot, I can't even explain. I was so mad at myself for taking the wrong turn. My body is really starting to break down a bit.
Which brings me to some commentary on this adventure. I have had a lot of people tell me they wish they were joining me, wish I had told them I was doing this, etc. I am definitely having a great adventure, but it is full of ups and downs. Riding 100+ miles a day is not easy. Navigating parts of the country that you have never been is not easy. Dealing with being outside all day in the heat and not knowing when there will be a little convenient store is not easy. This is truly not for everyone. My body is in a lot of pain from the muscle aches, to pure exhaustion, to sunburn, to chaffing in unfortunate places. I have kept my cool most of the time, but have had huge moments of frustration. And no one to share them with. Doing this alone, navigating, being fully responsible whether you get lost, can't change a tire, etc is tiring. Mentally, i have had a lot of ups and downs. While this is an adventure, it is also a challenge. And something really isnt a challenge unless it is hard. This is hard. Some parts of days I feel like I just can't make my bike go anymore. But I have to because I don't have a back up plan for the day - there's no vehicle following me, usually no little towns in between destinations with motels, etc. Ok, enough of that.
I rode through a few little towns in the last 30 miles to Bozeman - Manhattan, MT, where I procured a diet coke from a pop machine, another stop for water. Finally, I started pulling into Bozeman. Just as I was rolling in, so was a ridiculous hail storm. I took a picture and when i started riding again the wind had gotten so intense that I could barely pedal anymore, I was almost getting knocked off my bike. Luckily, my hotel was like a mile away.
I got to my hotel, checked in, ordered Mexican, talked to the parents, and went to bed. I decided I would take the next day, Sunday, easy - either go to Livingston, MT about 30 miles away from Bozeman or go to somewhere in between Gardiner, at the north entrance to Yellowstone, and Livingston.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Biking, Day 8: 7/24/2009
Day 8: Missoula, MT to Helena, MT
Distance: 125 miles
Route: MT Route 200 to MT 141 to MT 12
Lodging: Shilo Inn, $40/night via Priceline
I woke up at 5am to get on the road by 6am. I was nervous about making it to Helena. I had been doing 100 miles or so a day, which is quite a bit.Ｉ mentioned in my last post that biking is a bit slower than I had initially thought. The panniers weigh down the bike and my tires are wider than I am used to, so the overall speed is slower. I forgot to take into consideration things like heat, bad weather, wind, getting lost, my 'seat area', my hands, etc. The first day, my shoulder burned so badly that it blistered 3 days later. I have worn a tshirt the past 2 days so as not to expose my shoulder to the sun anymore. My seat area has been a constant issue with chaffing, soreness, etc. I have worn BOTH pairs of my padded shorts the past two days. The seat I got at Fitness Fanatics in Spokane has helped, too.
I headed out of town on Route 200. It was a beautiful morning. I had looked at the weather, though, and knew I would have bad headwind during the day. Less in the beginning, more later. Also, I saw that there was scattered thunderstorms in the area. I was unsure if I would be affected by those.
I decided I would try to space out my breaks a bit more. The first part of the ride was really hard. It was very hilly and windy. I wasn't making great time, but tried not to panic too much about making it to Helena. I decided to stop every 3 hours or so.
I stopped around 915am and had ridden 40 miles. I stopped at the first gas station i saw, which had a large cow in the front, got a coffee and sat for a bit. I got on the road again around 9:35. Today was the most beautiful day yet. The scenery was ridiculous. Rivers, trees, mountains.
During this middle part, I rode until around 1PM. i turned onto MT 141 from MT 200. I wanted to stop, but it looked like the first town would be 33 miles. That was very unfortunate.
I rode and was making great time. Then, the wind started up. I was about 10 miles from Avon, where the next turn would be, and I was hurting. The sun started getting really hot, too. I knew there would not likely be any place to stop, so I started rationing my water. It's amazing in MT how there can be stretches of road - 50 miles long or more - with nowhere to stop. I'm always shocked that there aren't more people who simply run out of gas. I guess Montanans know better.
I was tired. It was hot. I was thirsty. There were storm clouds rolling around.
Finally, I pulled into Avon, MT. I looked around - nothing. I had drank almost all my water. Then
I saw a little sign that pointed down a road indicating a store. I went down the road and found the most adorable store ever. I walked in, got some snacks, and the woman told me I a) needed more carbs and b) needed to sit to wait out the storm. Agreed.
I sat with the woman, her dog, Chloe, the guy who runs the post office, and a few other locals for a little bit as the storm passed through.
Avon is a really small town, like, population of 125 or something. I wondered how this store stayed in business. The woman, originally from Texas, told me the history of the store. In summary, the store has been around for like 15-20 years. Some guy owned it for the first ten, had it for sale for four years, and finally someone bought it. He had had it as a very general store. The next owner made it 'cute' and started selling crafty type things in there. But people liked having a place to go and buy their milk, etc. So another woman bought it and just ran herself into the ground with it - she had four kids, yet was the only person who ran the store. She had it open from 6am to 6pm, for some reason. Her husband worked in Alaska 3 weeks on/2 weeks off and when he would come home, he had nothing to do. Finally, he was like this is not what I signed up for. So, she sold it to this woman and a few friends. The store is a general store, for bread, milk, etc. It's mainly locals who come in, sometimes road traffic in the summers.
To get a sense of the place, while we were sitting there, a woman walked in 'hey, do you have any coconut?' Nope, but you're the second person to ask in 6 months, so I will order some. 'Great. How about cool whip?' Yep, there's one container in the freezer, I will order another when you take that one.
So, basically, I have no idea how she makes any money.
The storm passed through and I hit the road. It was 33 more miles to Helena. I started riding and ran into serious headwind. I literally couldn't go more than 6 miles/hr. It was horrible. After about 10 miles, I hit the hill that I had heard so much about. They were right - this hill was serious. I was exhausted, the hill was steep and long, I had 22 miles to go and had no idea if I could make it in this headwind before sunset.
I pushed my bike. For the first time on actual roads, I couldn't ride. I pushed, then would ride, pushed then would ride. it took me an hour to get up that hill. When i hit the top, there was a Lewis and Clark sign indicating the altitude - 6000+ feet. It was high. Damnned lewis and Clark.
But, what goes up, must come down. I rode downhill for about 8 miles. I even pulled off and took a few pictures - it was that pretty. Also, my back tire needed air. Going downhill is not as easy as it seems. I try not to go too fast because the bike is harder to control with the gear on the back. Plus, constantly having the brakes on is hard work!
I finally hit Helena just as it started raining. I saw a sign for my hotel, the Shilo Inn, and saw it was at the opposite end of town. I rode through, saw the capital, and went to my hotel. As with every hotel person, the manager was excited about my bike ride. When I tell people my zip code, they keep asking 'what brings you to Montana?' When i say i'm biking back, they are usually very confused. She was also interested in telling me about some relative who was born in Bethesda, a suburb of DC. So it goes.
I went to my room, it was after 7pm. A long, long day. I ordered pizza. I showered, I shouldn't admit this here, but I was too tired to wash my stuff. I wrote a little, and then I went to bed. I decided to let myself sleep in until 6am and hit the road at 7am.
Some thoughts: 125 miles was super hard today. The middle part wasn't so bad, when I got in my groove. But I realize that so much of whether a day is hard or not depends on wind, terrain, and amount of time I have to sit on my seat. 10 hours is a lot of time, but not horrible. 12-13 starts getting unbearable. So, if I have tail wind, no hills, etc and can bust out 15-18MPH, I can easily do 125-150 a day. so, perhaps in the heartland.
Tomorrow will be less mileage, to Bozeman.
Distance: 125 miles
Route: MT Route 200 to MT 141 to MT 12
Lodging: Shilo Inn, $40/night via Priceline
I woke up at 5am to get on the road by 6am. I was nervous about making it to Helena. I had been doing 100 miles or so a day, which is quite a bit.Ｉ mentioned in my last post that biking is a bit slower than I had initially thought. The panniers weigh down the bike and my tires are wider than I am used to, so the overall speed is slower. I forgot to take into consideration things like heat, bad weather, wind, getting lost, my 'seat area', my hands, etc. The first day, my shoulder burned so badly that it blistered 3 days later. I have worn a tshirt the past 2 days so as not to expose my shoulder to the sun anymore. My seat area has been a constant issue with chaffing, soreness, etc. I have worn BOTH pairs of my padded shorts the past two days. The seat I got at Fitness Fanatics in Spokane has helped, too.
I headed out of town on Route 200. It was a beautiful morning. I had looked at the weather, though, and knew I would have bad headwind during the day. Less in the beginning, more later. Also, I saw that there was scattered thunderstorms in the area. I was unsure if I would be affected by those.
I decided I would try to space out my breaks a bit more. The first part of the ride was really hard. It was very hilly and windy. I wasn't making great time, but tried not to panic too much about making it to Helena. I decided to stop every 3 hours or so.
I stopped around 915am and had ridden 40 miles. I stopped at the first gas station i saw, which had a large cow in the front, got a coffee and sat for a bit. I got on the road again around 9:35. Today was the most beautiful day yet. The scenery was ridiculous. Rivers, trees, mountains.
During this middle part, I rode until around 1PM. i turned onto MT 141 from MT 200. I wanted to stop, but it looked like the first town would be 33 miles. That was very unfortunate.
I rode and was making great time. Then, the wind started up. I was about 10 miles from Avon, where the next turn would be, and I was hurting. The sun started getting really hot, too. I knew there would not likely be any place to stop, so I started rationing my water. It's amazing in MT how there can be stretches of road - 50 miles long or more - with nowhere to stop. I'm always shocked that there aren't more people who simply run out of gas. I guess Montanans know better.
I was tired. It was hot. I was thirsty. There were storm clouds rolling around.
Finally, I pulled into Avon, MT. I looked around - nothing. I had drank almost all my water. Then
I saw a little sign that pointed down a road indicating a store. I went down the road and found the most adorable store ever. I walked in, got some snacks, and the woman told me I a) needed more carbs and b) needed to sit to wait out the storm. Agreed.
I sat with the woman, her dog, Chloe, the guy who runs the post office, and a few other locals for a little bit as the storm passed through.
Avon is a really small town, like, population of 125 or something. I wondered how this store stayed in business. The woman, originally from Texas, told me the history of the store. In summary, the store has been around for like 15-20 years. Some guy owned it for the first ten, had it for sale for four years, and finally someone bought it. He had had it as a very general store. The next owner made it 'cute' and started selling crafty type things in there. But people liked having a place to go and buy their milk, etc. So another woman bought it and just ran herself into the ground with it - she had four kids, yet was the only person who ran the store. She had it open from 6am to 6pm, for some reason. Her husband worked in Alaska 3 weeks on/2 weeks off and when he would come home, he had nothing to do. Finally, he was like this is not what I signed up for. So, she sold it to this woman and a few friends. The store is a general store, for bread, milk, etc. It's mainly locals who come in, sometimes road traffic in the summers.
To get a sense of the place, while we were sitting there, a woman walked in 'hey, do you have any coconut?' Nope, but you're the second person to ask in 6 months, so I will order some. 'Great. How about cool whip?' Yep, there's one container in the freezer, I will order another when you take that one.
So, basically, I have no idea how she makes any money.
The storm passed through and I hit the road. It was 33 more miles to Helena. I started riding and ran into serious headwind. I literally couldn't go more than 6 miles/hr. It was horrible. After about 10 miles, I hit the hill that I had heard so much about. They were right - this hill was serious. I was exhausted, the hill was steep and long, I had 22 miles to go and had no idea if I could make it in this headwind before sunset.
I pushed my bike. For the first time on actual roads, I couldn't ride. I pushed, then would ride, pushed then would ride. it took me an hour to get up that hill. When i hit the top, there was a Lewis and Clark sign indicating the altitude - 6000+ feet. It was high. Damnned lewis and Clark.
But, what goes up, must come down. I rode downhill for about 8 miles. I even pulled off and took a few pictures - it was that pretty. Also, my back tire needed air. Going downhill is not as easy as it seems. I try not to go too fast because the bike is harder to control with the gear on the back. Plus, constantly having the brakes on is hard work!
I finally hit Helena just as it started raining. I saw a sign for my hotel, the Shilo Inn, and saw it was at the opposite end of town. I rode through, saw the capital, and went to my hotel. As with every hotel person, the manager was excited about my bike ride. When I tell people my zip code, they keep asking 'what brings you to Montana?' When i say i'm biking back, they are usually very confused. She was also interested in telling me about some relative who was born in Bethesda, a suburb of DC. So it goes.
I went to my room, it was after 7pm. A long, long day. I ordered pizza. I showered, I shouldn't admit this here, but I was too tired to wash my stuff. I wrote a little, and then I went to bed. I decided to let myself sleep in until 6am and hit the road at 7am.
Some thoughts: 125 miles was super hard today. The middle part wasn't so bad, when I got in my groove. But I realize that so much of whether a day is hard or not depends on wind, terrain, and amount of time I have to sit on my seat. 10 hours is a lot of time, but not horrible. 12-13 starts getting unbearable. So, if I have tail wind, no hills, etc and can bust out 15-18MPH, I can easily do 125-150 a day. so, perhaps in the heartland.
Tomorrow will be less mileage, to Bozeman.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Biking, Day 7: 7/23/2009
Day 7: Thompson Falls, MT to Missoula, MT
Distance: 101 miles
Route: MT Route 200 the entire way (merges with 93/W Broadway)
Lodging: Holiday Inn Express, 1021 East Broadway, Missoula. $50/night via Priceline
I woke up at 5am* and got on the road by 6am. Thompson Falls was gorgeous in the morning. The thing about Thompson Falls is that there are NO FALLS. Let me repeat: there are no waterfalls in Thompson Falls. When the hostess slash owner of my motel told me to take a nice walk 'down where the falls used to be', I was a bit take aback. I did some research and Thompson Falls was founded by an explorer with the last name Thompson. Back then, there were waterfalls. It was considered a hot spot because Coeur D'Alene had struck gold. So the folks who lived in Thompson Falls went up and over the same pass that I did.
Anyway, the waterfalls were covered by a power dam. Of course, no one thought to change the name. Bastards.
I started my ride and decided to take route 200 the entire way. My directions had a slightly shorter route, but they were complicated and I could see from my paper map that 200 went to Missoula.
It was a lovely morning, but my seat was giving my pain again. I stopped to readjust a few times. Around 8:30 I rolled into Plains, MT. A man asked to join me, i told him to hop on. Oh Western hospitality. When riding through, I saw a bank clock that said 9:30. It struck me then that I was on Mountain time. Duh. I was an hour off. Bullocks.
I stopped for coffee at a gas station that had coffee, hot dogs, and a casino, all prominently advertised. I drank my coffee on a picnic bench, looked at my map, and fixed up my bike. An elderly couple drove up and started chatting with me. They asked where I was from (I just said Boston). The old guy told a cute story about how he once had a friend from Newton and his friend's father was a real estate developer and had a lot of money. He took him to a hockey game, which he said 'changed his life, Boston was so eye-opening' for a 17 year old Iowa farm boy. The man and woman had grown up in Iowa, but settled in Montana. He told me to be careful - it will suck you in.
Indeed, Montana has been absolutely gorgeous.
I continued on and it started getting ridiculously hot. I stopped a few times for short stops to readjust my seat, but kept going. I usually take one break in the am (around 30 miles), then another when I have 20-30 miles left and when it's super hot out.
I pulled into my afternoon stop at a gas station slash grocery store and got some water, pop, and a snack. A woman asked where I was from, I told her, and she welcomed me to God's country: isn't it great without all the people around? Indeed. Later she told me she would be praying for me. God bless.
At the stop, i called my mom. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!
When I left the gas station, I started back on 93/200 to Missoula. only, there was some significant road construction. For 13 miles. The last thing you want when you have 25 miles to your destination is to have to stop and walk every few miles, which I did. The road was being ripped up, there was no lane for bikes and it was a rough road.
Finally, I got through and continued on. It was hot. I went down a big big hill, then back up, then down into Missoula. it seems to be a theme in MT that all big cities are in a valley, and there's a big mountain to climb ahead of time. Noted.
There's really no way to accurately describe what it feels like to roll into your destination after an entire day biking. It's sort of like relief combined with high fiving yourself combined with anticipation of getting off the bike seat (ouch). It felt good today. It was a long day.
Missoula is a cute college town. It's hip and there's a lot of fast food, young people, and bikers. I got to my hotel, the Holiday Inn Express, at the eastern end of town and checked in.
I have been pretty tired after my long days of biking and today was no exception. I decided to splurge and order food for delivery. I figured a college town would have plenty of that.
I wrote the blog, uploaded pictures, washed my clothes, showered, and went to bed. I set my alarm for 5am (mountain time) for my long day tomorrow - 125 miles to Helena. After today, I was nervous. I was at exhaustion when I got to Missoula. Could I have done another 25 miles? Riding with bigger tires, through mountains, and with panniers is harder than I expected. I bike 15-20 MPH with a road bike and no gear. On my trip, I have been biking more like 10-15MPH. I had expected to be able to go a bit faster. It makes for long days. perhaps when I hit the flatter part of the country, if I have some tailwind, I will go faster.
My sunburn is getting better. Yay.
Distance: 101 miles
Route: MT Route 200 the entire way (merges with 93/W Broadway)
Lodging: Holiday Inn Express, 1021 East Broadway, Missoula. $50/night via Priceline
I woke up at 5am* and got on the road by 6am. Thompson Falls was gorgeous in the morning. The thing about Thompson Falls is that there are NO FALLS. Let me repeat: there are no waterfalls in Thompson Falls. When the hostess slash owner of my motel told me to take a nice walk 'down where the falls used to be', I was a bit take aback. I did some research and Thompson Falls was founded by an explorer with the last name Thompson. Back then, there were waterfalls. It was considered a hot spot because Coeur D'Alene had struck gold. So the folks who lived in Thompson Falls went up and over the same pass that I did.
Anyway, the waterfalls were covered by a power dam. Of course, no one thought to change the name. Bastards.
I started my ride and decided to take route 200 the entire way. My directions had a slightly shorter route, but they were complicated and I could see from my paper map that 200 went to Missoula.
It was a lovely morning, but my seat was giving my pain again. I stopped to readjust a few times. Around 8:30 I rolled into Plains, MT. A man asked to join me, i told him to hop on. Oh Western hospitality. When riding through, I saw a bank clock that said 9:30. It struck me then that I was on Mountain time. Duh. I was an hour off. Bullocks.
I stopped for coffee at a gas station that had coffee, hot dogs, and a casino, all prominently advertised. I drank my coffee on a picnic bench, looked at my map, and fixed up my bike. An elderly couple drove up and started chatting with me. They asked where I was from (I just said Boston). The old guy told a cute story about how he once had a friend from Newton and his friend's father was a real estate developer and had a lot of money. He took him to a hockey game, which he said 'changed his life, Boston was so eye-opening' for a 17 year old Iowa farm boy. The man and woman had grown up in Iowa, but settled in Montana. He told me to be careful - it will suck you in.
Indeed, Montana has been absolutely gorgeous.
I continued on and it started getting ridiculously hot. I stopped a few times for short stops to readjust my seat, but kept going. I usually take one break in the am (around 30 miles), then another when I have 20-30 miles left and when it's super hot out.
I pulled into my afternoon stop at a gas station slash grocery store and got some water, pop, and a snack. A woman asked where I was from, I told her, and she welcomed me to God's country: isn't it great without all the people around? Indeed. Later she told me she would be praying for me. God bless.
At the stop, i called my mom. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!
When I left the gas station, I started back on 93/200 to Missoula. only, there was some significant road construction. For 13 miles. The last thing you want when you have 25 miles to your destination is to have to stop and walk every few miles, which I did. The road was being ripped up, there was no lane for bikes and it was a rough road.
Finally, I got through and continued on. It was hot. I went down a big big hill, then back up, then down into Missoula. it seems to be a theme in MT that all big cities are in a valley, and there's a big mountain to climb ahead of time. Noted.
There's really no way to accurately describe what it feels like to roll into your destination after an entire day biking. It's sort of like relief combined with high fiving yourself combined with anticipation of getting off the bike seat (ouch). It felt good today. It was a long day.
Missoula is a cute college town. It's hip and there's a lot of fast food, young people, and bikers. I got to my hotel, the Holiday Inn Express, at the eastern end of town and checked in.
I have been pretty tired after my long days of biking and today was no exception. I decided to splurge and order food for delivery. I figured a college town would have plenty of that.
I wrote the blog, uploaded pictures, washed my clothes, showered, and went to bed. I set my alarm for 5am (mountain time) for my long day tomorrow - 125 miles to Helena. After today, I was nervous. I was at exhaustion when I got to Missoula. Could I have done another 25 miles? Riding with bigger tires, through mountains, and with panniers is harder than I expected. I bike 15-20 MPH with a road bike and no gear. On my trip, I have been biking more like 10-15MPH. I had expected to be able to go a bit faster. It makes for long days. perhaps when I hit the flatter part of the country, if I have some tailwind, I will go faster.
My sunburn is getting better. Yay.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Biking, Day 6: 7/22/2009
Day 6: Mullan, ID to Thompson Falls, MT
Distance: 45 miles
Route: Take the Coeur D'Alene Trail back to Wallace, have coffee at the Red Light Garage, head out of Wallace on Idaho Rte 4 to a road that was supposed to be paved (NFD 7623), to Prospect Creek into Thompson Falls. Idaho Rte 4 was 10 miles, uphill. Then I hit the dirt road, also up hill.
Lodging: Falls Motel, Thompson Falls, MT: http://www.thompsonfallslodging.com/
I started the day early by waking up at 4:45am. I wanted to get biking by 5:30. I had high hopes of possibly making it to Missoula, which would be a long day. I got out the door of my motel in Mullan by 5:30 and took the Coeur D'Alene Trail back to Wallace. The map showed a route up and over Thompson Pass to Thompson Falls from Wallace. There didn't appear to be a route from Mullan. My map wasn't great, though, and I had no internet. There looked like there was a decent road from Wallace over the pass to Thompson Falls.
Basically, Idaho and Montana have this main highway: I-90. Then they have a lot of random roads and dirt roads. It has been hard to figure out how to get from one place to another without going on I-90. Obviously,Ｉrode on I-90 yesterday, but it's not something I wanted to do again. I had heard rumors of a Hewata trail that led down to another road that would take me to Missoula, but the trail is 'multi use', which I knew would be dirt/rocks．Plus, I didn't have a map and my phone wasn't working. No cell service between the mountains.
So, I sucked it up and went back to Wallace. Dios mio! It was COLD. I put on a jacket, but by the time I got to Wallace, I couldn't feel my hands. I got a cup of coffee at a gas station, which was the only place open at 610am. Then, in the distance, I saw the Red Light Garage. I saw movement. They were open.
The Red Light Garage was quite possibly the most adorable coffee shop slash diner slash mexican taco stand slash kitch factory I have ever seen. I walked in and ordered coffee. I pet a dog with three legs. I was greeted by the locals. I was given a map. I ordered a Cinnamon Bun.
I used WiFi on my phone, but the 'RedLight' Wifi network was password protected. Using my skills to break the code, I tried 'Redlight'. Success. I had cracked the wifi code. I used my phone to check internet, call my mom, and check my voicemail (SAGE had called! She was in Wallace! EEK!)
I got my fill at The Red Light Garage and decided to hit the road.
I left Wallace and went out Rte 4. Route 4 went on for 11 miles. It was up hill. Not like up a mountain uphill, but like riding in lowest gear uphill. Hard, but not exhausting or impossible. Soon, I saw the sign that Rte 4 was ending. 3 miles later, I hit an electric grid station in the city of Burke (I had gone through other cities, like Yellow Dog). The road then split into 3 dirt roads. I decided to ask one of the electric men which one to Thompson Falls. They pointed to the road and said it was 'rough', though. I refused to go back down the 11 miles I just went up, so started up the dirt/gravel road.
They were right. It was rough. I tried to ride, but mainly pushed my bike with all the gear on the back. I stopped. I took off my biking shoes and put on my running kicks. It was 9am. I promised myself I would keep going until noon. Then, I would possibly retreat.
I can't really explain how hard this was. I watched the speedometer on my bike slowly tick. Pushing my bike, sweating profusely, too steep and too rocky to ride my bike. I stopped. I was frustrated. I had some anger about everything: carrying too much gear. Idaho for failing to provide decent roads. Thompson Pass for being so high. My dad for suggesting this route. My bike for having only 10 gears.
After about 1.5 hours,I was still pushing my bike up the mountain. I was getting exhausted, my legs shaking. A car passed me and a man yelled out 'you are one brave soul!' and I snapped 'not intentionally'.
I finally reached the top. I took a picture. It was 5800 Feet. There was a very unhelpful sign warning of the road conditions. I started going down the hill.
Now, one might think that going down is easy. incorrect. My hands still hurt from holding onto my brakes. Not to mention that my bike is not meant for this terrain. I was very convinced that my bike was going to break. I stopped a lot to take pictures and shake out my hands.
Finally, I got to the bottom. It was 5 miles up, 5 miles down.
I stopped, changed back into my shoes, put on more sunscreen, and started peddling toward Thompson Falls.
The road to Thompson Falls was 15 miles. Not horrible, but it was HOT. At this point, it was noon.
I got to Thompson Falls at around 1:15PM. I stopped at the post office and mailed Atlas Shrugged, my seat, my fork, Kristy's Tshirt, and an extra shirt of mine to Kristy's house. Streamlining this operation, yo.
I went into town and went to the River Fellowship Cafe. I went because it advertised free wifi. I had an awesome frozen drink and putzed online. I decided to stay in Thompson Falls and plan my next few days. I had only gone 45 miles, which was disconcerting and frustrating, but I had been out for 8 hours. The heat was too much - I could have rested until 5pm or so and then ridden on, but the towns in between Thompson Falls and Missoula were small, so I just decided to stay.
I booked a room at the Holiday Inn in Missoula, then the Shilo Inn in Helena. Both through Priceline ($50 and $40!!)
Distance: 45 miles
Route: Take the Coeur D'Alene Trail back to Wallace, have coffee at the Red Light Garage, head out of Wallace on Idaho Rte 4 to a road that was supposed to be paved (NFD 7623), to Prospect Creek into Thompson Falls. Idaho Rte 4 was 10 miles, uphill. Then I hit the dirt road, also up hill.
Lodging: Falls Motel, Thompson Falls, MT: http://www.thompsonfallslodging.com/
I started the day early by waking up at 4:45am. I wanted to get biking by 5:30. I had high hopes of possibly making it to Missoula, which would be a long day. I got out the door of my motel in Mullan by 5:30 and took the Coeur D'Alene Trail back to Wallace. The map showed a route up and over Thompson Pass to Thompson Falls from Wallace. There didn't appear to be a route from Mullan. My map wasn't great, though, and I had no internet. There looked like there was a decent road from Wallace over the pass to Thompson Falls.
Basically, Idaho and Montana have this main highway: I-90. Then they have a lot of random roads and dirt roads. It has been hard to figure out how to get from one place to another without going on I-90. Obviously,Ｉrode on I-90 yesterday, but it's not something I wanted to do again. I had heard rumors of a Hewata trail that led down to another road that would take me to Missoula, but the trail is 'multi use', which I knew would be dirt/rocks．Plus, I didn't have a map and my phone wasn't working. No cell service between the mountains.
So, I sucked it up and went back to Wallace. Dios mio! It was COLD. I put on a jacket, but by the time I got to Wallace, I couldn't feel my hands. I got a cup of coffee at a gas station, which was the only place open at 610am. Then, in the distance, I saw the Red Light Garage. I saw movement. They were open.
The Red Light Garage was quite possibly the most adorable coffee shop slash diner slash mexican taco stand slash kitch factory I have ever seen. I walked in and ordered coffee. I pet a dog with three legs. I was greeted by the locals. I was given a map. I ordered a Cinnamon Bun.
I used WiFi on my phone, but the 'RedLight' Wifi network was password protected. Using my skills to break the code, I tried 'Redlight'. Success. I had cracked the wifi code. I used my phone to check internet, call my mom, and check my voicemail (SAGE had called! She was in Wallace! EEK!)
I got my fill at The Red Light Garage and decided to hit the road.
I left Wallace and went out Rte 4. Route 4 went on for 11 miles. It was up hill. Not like up a mountain uphill, but like riding in lowest gear uphill. Hard, but not exhausting or impossible. Soon, I saw the sign that Rte 4 was ending. 3 miles later, I hit an electric grid station in the city of Burke (I had gone through other cities, like Yellow Dog). The road then split into 3 dirt roads. I decided to ask one of the electric men which one to Thompson Falls. They pointed to the road and said it was 'rough', though. I refused to go back down the 11 miles I just went up, so started up the dirt/gravel road.
They were right. It was rough. I tried to ride, but mainly pushed my bike with all the gear on the back. I stopped. I took off my biking shoes and put on my running kicks. It was 9am. I promised myself I would keep going until noon. Then, I would possibly retreat.
I can't really explain how hard this was. I watched the speedometer on my bike slowly tick. Pushing my bike, sweating profusely, too steep and too rocky to ride my bike. I stopped. I was frustrated. I had some anger about everything: carrying too much gear. Idaho for failing to provide decent roads. Thompson Pass for being so high. My dad for suggesting this route. My bike for having only 10 gears.
After about 1.5 hours,I was still pushing my bike up the mountain. I was getting exhausted, my legs shaking. A car passed me and a man yelled out 'you are one brave soul!' and I snapped 'not intentionally'.
I finally reached the top. I took a picture. It was 5800 Feet. There was a very unhelpful sign warning of the road conditions. I started going down the hill.
Now, one might think that going down is easy. incorrect. My hands still hurt from holding onto my brakes. Not to mention that my bike is not meant for this terrain. I was very convinced that my bike was going to break. I stopped a lot to take pictures and shake out my hands.
Finally, I got to the bottom. It was 5 miles up, 5 miles down.
I stopped, changed back into my shoes, put on more sunscreen, and started peddling toward Thompson Falls.
The road to Thompson Falls was 15 miles. Not horrible, but it was HOT. At this point, it was noon.
I got to Thompson Falls at around 1:15PM. I stopped at the post office and mailed Atlas Shrugged, my seat, my fork, Kristy's Tshirt, and an extra shirt of mine to Kristy's house. Streamlining this operation, yo.
I went into town and went to the River Fellowship Cafe. I went because it advertised free wifi. I had an awesome frozen drink and putzed online. I decided to stay in Thompson Falls and plan my next few days. I had only gone 45 miles, which was disconcerting and frustrating, but I had been out for 8 hours. The heat was too much - I could have rested until 5pm or so and then ridden on, but the towns in between Thompson Falls and Missoula were small, so I just decided to stay.
I booked a room at the Holiday Inn in Missoula, then the Shilo Inn in Helena. Both through Priceline ($50 and $40!!)
Biking, Day 5: 7/21/2009
Day 5: Coeur D'Alene, ID to Thompson Falls, MT. No, scratch that, to Mullan, ID
Distance: 90 miles
Route: Take 1: Leave Coeur D'Alene via the Centennial Trail, go up Sunset Rd, go to Yellowstone Trail, link up with 97... I'll stop there. Made it 5 miles down Sunset until it turned into gravel. Continued for 3 miles, hit Yellowstone Trail. Yellowstone trail turned to gravel slash underconstruction/road closed. I asked some workmen how to get back to major roads. I returned to the Centennial Trail via a road that took me up then down a mountain. 25 miles into the day and I was nowhere. And Sage had caught up with me. We asked directions at the Centennial trail and were basically told that we could ride on I-90, but that was really the only paved road east. I curse Idaho for having only interstate and gravel roads. Take 2: Centennial trail back to Coeur D'Alene, I-90E for 20 miles to exit 34. At exit 34, I saw a sign for the Trail of Coeur D'Alenes. I had read about this and knew it ran for a total of 72 miles east. I decided to go for it.
Lodging: Lookout Motel, Mullan, ID, $24. Smoking room, no AC, worst hotel I have ever been at ever ever ever.
So, today was full of frustration. Coeur D'Alene is impossible to get out of via non-interstate roads. I discovered this through running into several shut down and gravel slash sand roads. My bike has little tires, this was no good. After fucking around Coeur D'Alene for 25 miles I finally decided to suck it up and get on the interstate.
I took I-90 20 miles to exit 34. It was up a mountain, down a mountain, up a mountain, then back down. Riding on an interstate is not something I recommend. Nor is it something I ever want to do again. There was plenty of room on the side of the highway, but it had lots of glass, debris, etc. And there is really no way to explain the sound of trucks coming behind you and passing you. The signs on the side of the road that warned of blown out brakes did not help.
Finally, I got to exit 34. I pulled off and saw a sign for the Trail of Coeur D'Alenes. Score! I decided to be a good person and wait for a while for Sage. I went to the gas station, got a snack and sat and waited. I met some cool hispanic guys who were traveling to Poison, MT. And the kids were so into my shoes and bike. I sat for like an hour. No sage. I decided to forge on.
I rode up the road where the arrow pointed me to the trail. I asked a road maintenance guy how far and he said 2 miles. I went through the hot tar he was putting on the road and went two miles and found the trail. As I rode up to the trail, I noticed my tire in the back was getting a little low. I got to the trailhead and filled my tire with air.
I started at mile marker 30 and wanted to go to Mullan which was at mile marker 72. I figured I wouldn't make it to Thompson Falls. My phone wasn't working and my directions that I had printed were pretty useless at this point. I rode for about 3 miles and my tire was flat again. I filled it up again. After another 3 miles it was flat. It was a slow leak, but it wasn't going to work.
I stopped and decided to change the tube. I have never changed a tube before. I took my panniers off, flipped my bike and took the wheel off. I used the tire levers, which I have never used before, to pry off the tire. I got out a spare tube and tried to figure out how to put it all back together. This is not as easy as it sounds. Getting the tire back on is like threading it, but it's too small for the wheel. It took me about 20 minutes to figure out how to do this. But I did it. I filled it with air. I forged on.
I rode along the trail with a few stops. I stopped in Kellogg, ID where I tried to steal internet from a hotel. I was successful until their internet went down. I wrote mom an email telling her I wasn't dead that didn't send, I used my GPS to map directions to a motel I looked up, but it didn't finish the directions. I did find a motel in mullan, which is the last stop in the trail. I figured I should go as far as it would take me.
After Kellogg, I went through Wallace, ID. An ADORABLE town. I thought about stopping and staying, but decided to continue to Mullan. Finally, I got to Mullan.
I noticed that my skin on my shoulder where I had burned pretty badly my first day on the road was blistering. Ew.
I checked the trail map and didn't see any continuation. I looked over and saw the motel that I had found when I had internet for 3.4 seconds. It was pretty shitty. A couple offered to take me back to Wallace, but I decided to just stay. I went up and asked if they had any rooms. Yes, one. It has two beds, no AC, and is a smoking room. Ok, fine, how much. He's let me have it for $24. well, a bargain at least.
The room was smelly and crappy, but whatever. I called my parents from a pay phone since my cell had no service. My dad encouraged me to go BACK to wallace because it's the only way to get up to Thompson falls, and Thompson falls is the only way to Missoula not on I-90. They checked hotels, but I decided just to stay.
I went out on my bike and found a little store. A little store with EVERYTHING. No, really. It was like a gas station shop, but it had bizarre things. Like, vast quantities of soup. Ice cream sandwiches in bulk. British candies. Lunchables.
I got a map of Mt, WY, and ID. All in one! It was all they had. I also got a lunchables for dinner. It had chips, cheez whiz, and salsa. And a newspaper.
After I got back to the motel I looked at the map. It didn't have the detail to map small roads from Mullan. So, plan as of now is to go BACK to Wallace, then to Thompson Falls. Then use the internet. Then figure out if I want to go all the way to Missoula or take a day.
Distance: 90 miles
Route: Take 1: Leave Coeur D'Alene via the Centennial Trail, go up Sunset Rd, go to Yellowstone Trail, link up with 97... I'll stop there. Made it 5 miles down Sunset until it turned into gravel. Continued for 3 miles, hit Yellowstone Trail. Yellowstone trail turned to gravel slash underconstruction/road closed. I asked some workmen how to get back to major roads. I returned to the Centennial Trail via a road that took me up then down a mountain. 25 miles into the day and I was nowhere. And Sage had caught up with me. We asked directions at the Centennial trail and were basically told that we could ride on I-90, but that was really the only paved road east. I curse Idaho for having only interstate and gravel roads. Take 2: Centennial trail back to Coeur D'Alene, I-90E for 20 miles to exit 34. At exit 34, I saw a sign for the Trail of Coeur D'Alenes. I had read about this and knew it ran for a total of 72 miles east. I decided to go for it.
Lodging: Lookout Motel, Mullan, ID, $24. Smoking room, no AC, worst hotel I have ever been at ever ever ever.
So, today was full of frustration. Coeur D'Alene is impossible to get out of via non-interstate roads. I discovered this through running into several shut down and gravel slash sand roads. My bike has little tires, this was no good. After fucking around Coeur D'Alene for 25 miles I finally decided to suck it up and get on the interstate.
I took I-90 20 miles to exit 34. It was up a mountain, down a mountain, up a mountain, then back down. Riding on an interstate is not something I recommend. Nor is it something I ever want to do again. There was plenty of room on the side of the highway, but it had lots of glass, debris, etc. And there is really no way to explain the sound of trucks coming behind you and passing you. The signs on the side of the road that warned of blown out brakes did not help.
Finally, I got to exit 34. I pulled off and saw a sign for the Trail of Coeur D'Alenes. Score! I decided to be a good person and wait for a while for Sage. I went to the gas station, got a snack and sat and waited. I met some cool hispanic guys who were traveling to Poison, MT. And the kids were so into my shoes and bike. I sat for like an hour. No sage. I decided to forge on.
I rode up the road where the arrow pointed me to the trail. I asked a road maintenance guy how far and he said 2 miles. I went through the hot tar he was putting on the road and went two miles and found the trail. As I rode up to the trail, I noticed my tire in the back was getting a little low. I got to the trailhead and filled my tire with air.
I started at mile marker 30 and wanted to go to Mullan which was at mile marker 72. I figured I wouldn't make it to Thompson Falls. My phone wasn't working and my directions that I had printed were pretty useless at this point. I rode for about 3 miles and my tire was flat again. I filled it up again. After another 3 miles it was flat. It was a slow leak, but it wasn't going to work.
I stopped and decided to change the tube. I have never changed a tube before. I took my panniers off, flipped my bike and took the wheel off. I used the tire levers, which I have never used before, to pry off the tire. I got out a spare tube and tried to figure out how to put it all back together. This is not as easy as it sounds. Getting the tire back on is like threading it, but it's too small for the wheel. It took me about 20 minutes to figure out how to do this. But I did it. I filled it with air. I forged on.
I rode along the trail with a few stops. I stopped in Kellogg, ID where I tried to steal internet from a hotel. I was successful until their internet went down. I wrote mom an email telling her I wasn't dead that didn't send, I used my GPS to map directions to a motel I looked up, but it didn't finish the directions. I did find a motel in mullan, which is the last stop in the trail. I figured I should go as far as it would take me.
After Kellogg, I went through Wallace, ID. An ADORABLE town. I thought about stopping and staying, but decided to continue to Mullan. Finally, I got to Mullan.
I noticed that my skin on my shoulder where I had burned pretty badly my first day on the road was blistering. Ew.
I checked the trail map and didn't see any continuation. I looked over and saw the motel that I had found when I had internet for 3.4 seconds. It was pretty shitty. A couple offered to take me back to Wallace, but I decided to just stay. I went up and asked if they had any rooms. Yes, one. It has two beds, no AC, and is a smoking room. Ok, fine, how much. He's let me have it for $24. well, a bargain at least.
The room was smelly and crappy, but whatever. I called my parents from a pay phone since my cell had no service. My dad encouraged me to go BACK to wallace because it's the only way to get up to Thompson falls, and Thompson falls is the only way to Missoula not on I-90. They checked hotels, but I decided just to stay.
I went out on my bike and found a little store. A little store with EVERYTHING. No, really. It was like a gas station shop, but it had bizarre things. Like, vast quantities of soup. Ice cream sandwiches in bulk. British candies. Lunchables.
I got a map of Mt, WY, and ID. All in one! It was all they had. I also got a lunchables for dinner. It had chips, cheez whiz, and salsa. And a newspaper.
After I got back to the motel I looked at the map. It didn't have the detail to map small roads from Mullan. So, plan as of now is to go BACK to Wallace, then to Thompson Falls. Then use the internet. Then figure out if I want to go all the way to Missoula or take a day.
Biking, Day 4: 7/20/2009
Day 4: Wilbur, WA to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho
Distance: 100 miles
Route: Rte 2 to Spokane, then through the back side of Spokane, following Sunset Hwy, then linking to 290/East Trent/Spokane Falls Blvd, then to the Centennial Trail all the way to Coeur D'Alene
Lodging: Shilo Inn and Suites, courtesy of Priceline.
Shout out: Fitness Fanatics in East Spokane, WA where I got a new bike seat, tube, and shorts. This was probably the best bike store I have ever been to. They were helpful (and it's owned by a woman) and had awesome bicycles. Ever in Spokane, you must go: http://www.fitfanatics.com/
I started riding at 6;10am. It was a beautiful morning, I was a little tired, but not horrible. My main issue was my seat again. The discomfort is hard to describe. It's not just pain, like muscle soreness, there's chaffing in multiple locations. And it gets raw.
I rode about 30 miles to Davenport, then continued to Spokane.
Once I rolled through Spokane and got my new seat, I got on the Centennial Trail. I took the trail through to Idaho – yay! When I crossed into Idaho, a woman with her bike packed down with panniers asked me (as I was taking a picture of the Welcome to Idaho sign) whether I knew where there was camping. I said no, but that I was going to Coeur D'Alene, about 12 miles, and there might be something there. She responded that no, there was no camping there. But where was I staying? I told her I was staying at a hotel and she said 'how much?' and I told her and she said 'I'll split it with you'. I was so thrown off by this. I have never been approached like this before. I stumbled, said eh, ok, I mean, I've never done that before. And she said well, if you're not comfortable... Then she said we should just start riding and talking. Fine.
We started riding. She was a LOT slower than me. Some information on the woman:
Name: Sage (not sure if this is a given name, gang name, porn name. It's the name of a spice, after all)
From: Alaska, but now lives in Boston because going to BU for some policy degree. Lives in JP.
Age: 52
Sexuality: Straight, not attached, no children
Bike: Mountain, but decorated with various stickers including: “Alaska Spirit”and “Coexist”
Touring experience: Asia, India
Religion/culture: Jewish
Ultimate destination: Helena, MT to meet others to do mountain biking
Occupation: teacher
We rode along the trail and got to know each other. Sage was moderately interesting, but very slow. My ass was in a considerable amount of pain still, so the moseying pace was not the best for me. I really just wanted to get off the seat. She decided she was hungry and stopped. She ate an apple. I waited. We forged on. Sage thought her breaks were rubbing. We stopped.. she took off all her panniers. Fixed something. We forged on.
Around 7 or 8 miles into it, I got a sinking feeling that she thought she was staying at my hotel with me. She had already said she wanted to bike with me tomorrow, which I agreed to against my better judgment. Finally, I said so, are you going to camp tonight and then we can meet up tomorrow? To which she responded “I'll split a hotel with you”. I stumbled and said that I wasn't really comfortable since we just met, my parents would kill me, etc. She said 'even though I'm a woman?'. Yes, I said. 'Even though I'm a teacher?' Yes,I said, it's more about respect with my parents – I know they are worrying, this would make them worry more. Then she said 'why don't you call them?' and I said 'I've been texting with them'. What did you say to them? Well, I said I met a woman who is also touring and who wants to stay with me. She kept probing on the exact text conversation I had with my parents. Finally, I just said, well, if you want to bike with me I can give you my number. She said well, I doubt I will because I will have to pack tent, etc and I won't be ready early enough. It was so awkward. Nonetheless, I avoided an unwanted guest and carried on to my hotel.
My hotel was an actual hotel, not stellar, but not bad. I ordered apizza and salad. It was delicious.
I got a call from Sage around 830PM. She DID want to ride with me the next day. She wanted to meet on the trail.She had lucked out and met a couple who invited her to sleep in their RV with them. Such luck! I told her we should do 630 because my hotel has free breakfast. Well, she would just meet me for the free breakfast and eat it! Fantastico.
I went to bed after talking to my parents. Dad had looked up a map and wanted me to go to Thompson Falls. I looked it up and it was adorable. Great.
Distance: 100 miles
Route: Rte 2 to Spokane, then through the back side of Spokane, following Sunset Hwy, then linking to 290/East Trent/Spokane Falls Blvd, then to the Centennial Trail all the way to Coeur D'Alene
Lodging: Shilo Inn and Suites, courtesy of Priceline.
Shout out: Fitness Fanatics in East Spokane, WA where I got a new bike seat, tube, and shorts. This was probably the best bike store I have ever been to. They were helpful (and it's owned by a woman) and had awesome bicycles. Ever in Spokane, you must go: http://www.fitfanatics.com/
I started riding at 6;10am. It was a beautiful morning, I was a little tired, but not horrible. My main issue was my seat again. The discomfort is hard to describe. It's not just pain, like muscle soreness, there's chaffing in multiple locations. And it gets raw.
I rode about 30 miles to Davenport, then continued to Spokane.
Once I rolled through Spokane and got my new seat, I got on the Centennial Trail. I took the trail through to Idaho – yay! When I crossed into Idaho, a woman with her bike packed down with panniers asked me (as I was taking a picture of the Welcome to Idaho sign) whether I knew where there was camping. I said no, but that I was going to Coeur D'Alene, about 12 miles, and there might be something there. She responded that no, there was no camping there. But where was I staying? I told her I was staying at a hotel and she said 'how much?' and I told her and she said 'I'll split it with you'. I was so thrown off by this. I have never been approached like this before. I stumbled, said eh, ok, I mean, I've never done that before. And she said well, if you're not comfortable... Then she said we should just start riding and talking. Fine.
We started riding. She was a LOT slower than me. Some information on the woman:
Name: Sage (not sure if this is a given name, gang name, porn name. It's the name of a spice, after all)
From: Alaska, but now lives in Boston because going to BU for some policy degree. Lives in JP.
Age: 52
Sexuality: Straight, not attached, no children
Bike: Mountain, but decorated with various stickers including: “Alaska Spirit”and “Coexist”
Touring experience: Asia, India
Religion/culture: Jewish
Ultimate destination: Helena, MT to meet others to do mountain biking
Occupation: teacher
We rode along the trail and got to know each other. Sage was moderately interesting, but very slow. My ass was in a considerable amount of pain still, so the moseying pace was not the best for me. I really just wanted to get off the seat. She decided she was hungry and stopped. She ate an apple. I waited. We forged on. Sage thought her breaks were rubbing. We stopped.. she took off all her panniers. Fixed something. We forged on.
Around 7 or 8 miles into it, I got a sinking feeling that she thought she was staying at my hotel with me. She had already said she wanted to bike with me tomorrow, which I agreed to against my better judgment. Finally, I said so, are you going to camp tonight and then we can meet up tomorrow? To which she responded “I'll split a hotel with you”. I stumbled and said that I wasn't really comfortable since we just met, my parents would kill me, etc. She said 'even though I'm a woman?'. Yes, I said. 'Even though I'm a teacher?' Yes,I said, it's more about respect with my parents – I know they are worrying, this would make them worry more. Then she said 'why don't you call them?' and I said 'I've been texting with them'. What did you say to them? Well, I said I met a woman who is also touring and who wants to stay with me. She kept probing on the exact text conversation I had with my parents. Finally, I just said, well, if you want to bike with me I can give you my number. She said well, I doubt I will because I will have to pack tent, etc and I won't be ready early enough. It was so awkward. Nonetheless, I avoided an unwanted guest and carried on to my hotel.
My hotel was an actual hotel, not stellar, but not bad. I ordered apizza and salad. It was delicious.
I got a call from Sage around 830PM. She DID want to ride with me the next day. She wanted to meet on the trail.She had lucked out and met a couple who invited her to sleep in their RV with them. Such luck! I told her we should do 630 because my hotel has free breakfast. Well, she would just meet me for the free breakfast and eat it! Fantastico.
I went to bed after talking to my parents. Dad had looked up a map and wanted me to go to Thompson Falls. I looked it up and it was adorable. Great.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Biking, Day 3: 7/19/2009
Day 3: Twisp, WA to Wilbur, WA
Distance: 122 miles (should have been 95)
Route: Rte 20E to Rte 153. First attempt: Benson Road to NFD 4150, note to self: NFD=National Forest Drive and is all sand. After 3 miles, retreated and went back to Rte 153. Time lost: 2 hours. Went Rte 153 to Route 173 to Route 17 to Route 174 into Grand Coulee Dam, then 174 to Wilbur, WA.
Lodging: Willows Motel, Wilbur, WA (www.willowswilburmotel.com)
Today was frustrating. From the start, things did not go well. I left at 6am and 3 miles in took a left onto Benson Rd, which is what Googlemaps 'walking' told me to do. I hit a hill that I literally could not climb on my bike. I walked my bike up the hill. About 3 miles down Benson, the road changed to sand. I figured eh, a few miles on sand, I can do that. About 3 miles in I looked at my directions and i was supposed to stay on this 'road' for 11 miles. I didn't want to do that. I turned back. I used googlemaps driving to get me back on track. The route was now 110 miles, not the original 95 (which included some serious bush-wacking), not including the 15 or so lost in the woods and on the road leading to the woods. But I figured I could stay in Grand Coulee, WA, which is like 20 miles before Wilbur if I got desperate. I got back on Route 153 at around 8am.
I was frustrated because I get up at 5am so I can hit the road early. It gets hot and the morning is when i really want to log most of my miles. In my head, I had hoped to get to Wilbur by 1 or 2pm. That was not to happen.
Back on the road I was still having some serious seat issues. I'm not sure how I'm going to remedy this. I know that the muscle soreness gets better over time. But the skin irritation I'm not so sure about. I readjusted the seat a few times - I would stop every 20 miles or so to shift the seat so I wasn't hitting the same spots. It helped, I think, but it still hurt a lot.
Because of the mental challenge of the morning and my seat issues, I decided I would take the day in chunks. Not too fast and stopping every 15-20 miles. I still wasn't sure whether I would stay in Grand Coulee or Wilbur.
Things were fine until it heated up. Days are HOT. I went through two small cities. In the second city, Bridgeport, I got some water. From Bridgeport to Grand Coulee it was going to be about 40 miles. There was a road change about halfway and I figured I would be able to stop there to get water. WhenＩgot to the road change, there was nothing but road. I kept riding. It was windy and hot. I would drink water and 3 seconds later be ridiculously thirsty.
I kept going down the road and was thinking about the cold beverages I would have in Grand Coulee. Oh, I was so, so thirsty. A car with a young couple passed and offered me water. I declined. Then, I cursed myself for 10 miles for refusing water. I was rationing mine. Go a few kilometers, drink water. It was hilly. Finally, I hit the top of a hill and saw to the left a huge dam. The Grand Coulee Dam! I'm not sure where I heard of this dam, but there it was.
I rolled into town and went to a grocery store. I got lemonade, an apple, a cherry coke zero, a water, and a chocolate bar. I sat outside and tried to find a motel. But my phone wasn't working. I tried to get someone to find a motel for me, but to no avail. after about an hour, I decided to just forge on to Wilbur. I knew once I was out of Grand Coulee (low lying area), I would have cell service.
I left and headed out route 174 East toward Wilbur. After about 10 minutes,Ｉwanted to die. It was straight up. Like a huge hill. This went on for, oh, I don't know, like 5-7 miles? it was ridiculous. I really wanted to cry.
Finally, I hit the top and it was pretty flat (well, rolling) from then on.
I got to Wilbur around 6pm. My motel was lovely. The guy running it was great. As I left the little office, a guy started talking to me. Just an innocent older guy looking to make conversation. He rides railway cars. Like, leases rail time and then rides these rail cars. He was very passionate about it. I was very dirty, very hot, and very hungry. He was also drinking scotch. He invited me to come out so he could show me the best way for my next day of riding. And he wanted to grill for me. I enthusiastically agreed to join him and his group of people. I went into my room and never came back out.
I slept wonderfully.
Distance: 122 miles (should have been 95)
Route: Rte 20E to Rte 153. First attempt: Benson Road to NFD 4150, note to self: NFD=National Forest Drive and is all sand. After 3 miles, retreated and went back to Rte 153. Time lost: 2 hours. Went Rte 153 to Route 173 to Route 17 to Route 174 into Grand Coulee Dam, then 174 to Wilbur, WA.
Lodging: Willows Motel, Wilbur, WA (www.willowswilburmotel.com)
Today was frustrating. From the start, things did not go well. I left at 6am and 3 miles in took a left onto Benson Rd, which is what Googlemaps 'walking' told me to do. I hit a hill that I literally could not climb on my bike. I walked my bike up the hill. About 3 miles down Benson, the road changed to sand. I figured eh, a few miles on sand, I can do that. About 3 miles in I looked at my directions and i was supposed to stay on this 'road' for 11 miles. I didn't want to do that. I turned back. I used googlemaps driving to get me back on track. The route was now 110 miles, not the original 95 (which included some serious bush-wacking), not including the 15 or so lost in the woods and on the road leading to the woods. But I figured I could stay in Grand Coulee, WA, which is like 20 miles before Wilbur if I got desperate. I got back on Route 153 at around 8am.
I was frustrated because I get up at 5am so I can hit the road early. It gets hot and the morning is when i really want to log most of my miles. In my head, I had hoped to get to Wilbur by 1 or 2pm. That was not to happen.
Back on the road I was still having some serious seat issues. I'm not sure how I'm going to remedy this. I know that the muscle soreness gets better over time. But the skin irritation I'm not so sure about. I readjusted the seat a few times - I would stop every 20 miles or so to shift the seat so I wasn't hitting the same spots. It helped, I think, but it still hurt a lot.
Because of the mental challenge of the morning and my seat issues, I decided I would take the day in chunks. Not too fast and stopping every 15-20 miles. I still wasn't sure whether I would stay in Grand Coulee or Wilbur.
Things were fine until it heated up. Days are HOT. I went through two small cities. In the second city, Bridgeport, I got some water. From Bridgeport to Grand Coulee it was going to be about 40 miles. There was a road change about halfway and I figured I would be able to stop there to get water. WhenＩgot to the road change, there was nothing but road. I kept riding. It was windy and hot. I would drink water and 3 seconds later be ridiculously thirsty.
I kept going down the road and was thinking about the cold beverages I would have in Grand Coulee. Oh, I was so, so thirsty. A car with a young couple passed and offered me water. I declined. Then, I cursed myself for 10 miles for refusing water. I was rationing mine. Go a few kilometers, drink water. It was hilly. Finally, I hit the top of a hill and saw to the left a huge dam. The Grand Coulee Dam! I'm not sure where I heard of this dam, but there it was.
I rolled into town and went to a grocery store. I got lemonade, an apple, a cherry coke zero, a water, and a chocolate bar. I sat outside and tried to find a motel. But my phone wasn't working. I tried to get someone to find a motel for me, but to no avail. after about an hour, I decided to just forge on to Wilbur. I knew once I was out of Grand Coulee (low lying area), I would have cell service.
I left and headed out route 174 East toward Wilbur. After about 10 minutes,Ｉwanted to die. It was straight up. Like a huge hill. This went on for, oh, I don't know, like 5-7 miles? it was ridiculous. I really wanted to cry.
Finally, I hit the top and it was pretty flat (well, rolling) from then on.
I got to Wilbur around 6pm. My motel was lovely. The guy running it was great. As I left the little office, a guy started talking to me. Just an innocent older guy looking to make conversation. He rides railway cars. Like, leases rail time and then rides these rail cars. He was very passionate about it. I was very dirty, very hot, and very hungry. He was also drinking scotch. He invited me to come out so he could show me the best way for my next day of riding. And he wanted to grill for me. I enthusiastically agreed to join him and his group of people. I went into my room and never came back out.
I slept wonderfully.
Biking, Day 2: 7/18/2009
Day 2: Rockport, WA to Twisp, WA
Distance: 98 miles
Route: Rte 20E/(North Cascades Highway until Mazama, WA) the entire way. Through the North Cascades, significant 'hills' – about 6 climbs of 5000 feet. It was hard. And slow.
Lodging: The Sportsman Motel, 1010 Rte20 E, Twisp, WA; $47/night. Run by an adorable older couple. Seems to be a motel primarily for bikers. Like, motorcycles.
Last night some guy told me that my ride today was going to be hard and include a lot of difficult climbs. Apparently, his son rode through on his bike a few years ago. So, I was nervous about making it through. The North Cascades Highway is 70 miles. Well, 70 miles from where I started – Rockport, WA to the end in Mazama, WA. My bike is great, but it doesn't down shift very low – it only has 10 speeds, since it's made for Cyclo Cross. So, I went to bed around 9:30 and got up at 5am, hoping to leave by 6am.
I left on my ride at 6:02am. It was awesome to be out on the road so early. The morning was gorgeous. I was having second thoughts about the route, but the morning was totally worth it.
The first 20 miles or so weren't horrible. The views were amazing. Then I hit Diablo, where there is the Diablo pass. This was the first climb. I think it was around 4500 to 5000 feet.
After Diablo, there were about 5 other climbs. I started stopping every 10 miles to rest, stretch, and have a snack. When going up the hills, which were like 4-5 miles long each one, I was only going at a pace of 8-10KM/hr, which is like 5-6miles/hr. When I'm biking normally, I go about 15-20 MPH. So, it was very strenuous.
Around noon, it started getting really hot. Going up the hills, I was sweating a ton.
Finally, I hit Washington Pass, the highest point in the North Cascades. It was at milepost 164 (I started at milepost 103). From there, it was all downhill. Like, really steep. I literally went downhill for 10 miles. When I reached the end of the North Cascades Highway, I had been biking for almost 8 hours. It had gotten really hot and I was super thirsty. I went into Mazama, WA to get a drink and snack.
In Mazama, I looked up motels in Twisp. Winthrop, WA is about 8 miles before Twisp, but I felt like I could go the extra 8 miles to Twisp. I called a cheap motel, The Sportsman Motel, and they had just had a cancellation. Yay! I booked the room and started riding again.
The last 25 miles or so into Winthrop, then to Twisp were pretty exhausting. It was 99 degrees out. I couldn't drink enough water. My seat area was starting to really get irritated. And I was worried about my sunburn on my right shoulder. I had covered the shoulder with cloth so it wasn't exposed all day, but it was starting to hurt anyway.
I went through Winthrop and it was adorable. It looks like an old western town, like from the 1920s. Super cute. I sort of wisshed I was staying there, but it also looked really touristy (I had been told that it was touristy, too). I continued on to Twisp, WA.
I got to my motel in Twisp around 4PM. I had been biking for the better part of 10 hours. I showered, washed my clothes in the sink, went out and got some dinner at the local grocery store (and snacks for tomorrow) and went back to the motel.
I made nachos! They were tasty. Again, no internet at this motel, but I used my blackberry to map out tomorrow.
Distance: 98 miles
Route: Rte 20E/(North Cascades Highway until Mazama, WA) the entire way. Through the North Cascades, significant 'hills' – about 6 climbs of 5000 feet. It was hard. And slow.
Lodging: The Sportsman Motel, 1010 Rte20 E, Twisp, WA; $47/night. Run by an adorable older couple. Seems to be a motel primarily for bikers. Like, motorcycles.
Last night some guy told me that my ride today was going to be hard and include a lot of difficult climbs. Apparently, his son rode through on his bike a few years ago. So, I was nervous about making it through. The North Cascades Highway is 70 miles. Well, 70 miles from where I started – Rockport, WA to the end in Mazama, WA. My bike is great, but it doesn't down shift very low – it only has 10 speeds, since it's made for Cyclo Cross. So, I went to bed around 9:30 and got up at 5am, hoping to leave by 6am.
I left on my ride at 6:02am. It was awesome to be out on the road so early. The morning was gorgeous. I was having second thoughts about the route, but the morning was totally worth it.
The first 20 miles or so weren't horrible. The views were amazing. Then I hit Diablo, where there is the Diablo pass. This was the first climb. I think it was around 4500 to 5000 feet.
After Diablo, there were about 5 other climbs. I started stopping every 10 miles to rest, stretch, and have a snack. When going up the hills, which were like 4-5 miles long each one, I was only going at a pace of 8-10KM/hr, which is like 5-6miles/hr. When I'm biking normally, I go about 15-20 MPH. So, it was very strenuous.
Around noon, it started getting really hot. Going up the hills, I was sweating a ton.
Finally, I hit Washington Pass, the highest point in the North Cascades. It was at milepost 164 (I started at milepost 103). From there, it was all downhill. Like, really steep. I literally went downhill for 10 miles. When I reached the end of the North Cascades Highway, I had been biking for almost 8 hours. It had gotten really hot and I was super thirsty. I went into Mazama, WA to get a drink and snack.
In Mazama, I looked up motels in Twisp. Winthrop, WA is about 8 miles before Twisp, but I felt like I could go the extra 8 miles to Twisp. I called a cheap motel, The Sportsman Motel, and they had just had a cancellation. Yay! I booked the room and started riding again.
The last 25 miles or so into Winthrop, then to Twisp were pretty exhausting. It was 99 degrees out. I couldn't drink enough water. My seat area was starting to really get irritated. And I was worried about my sunburn on my right shoulder. I had covered the shoulder with cloth so it wasn't exposed all day, but it was starting to hurt anyway.
I went through Winthrop and it was adorable. It looks like an old western town, like from the 1920s. Super cute. I sort of wisshed I was staying there, but it also looked really touristy (I had been told that it was touristy, too). I continued on to Twisp, WA.
I got to my motel in Twisp around 4PM. I had been biking for the better part of 10 hours. I showered, washed my clothes in the sink, went out and got some dinner at the local grocery store (and snacks for tomorrow) and went back to the motel.
I made nachos! They were tasty. Again, no internet at this motel, but I used my blackberry to map out tomorrow.
Biking, Day 1: 7/17/2009
Day 1: Seattle, WA to Rockport WA
Distance: 95 miles
Route: Left Seattle via 15th St, continued to Everett via rte 99, got a little lost, took a few back roads to get back to 99, met up with 530 NE, continued on 530 NE for about 50 miles, took route 20 E (North Cascades highway) into Rockport/Marblemount
Obvious Route Question: Why am I going north when I ultimately will be going South and East? Good question! Initially, I knew I wanted to go through the north cascades because they are famous for their beauty, not to mention that Tim and Rebecca said I should definitely explore it. Then I booked a hotel. Then I started really questioning why I was voluntarily going into mountains, with lots of ups and downs. I almost changed my route, but decided what the hell, this trip is supposed to be fun, not just getting across the country as quickly as possible.
Lodging: Skagit River Resort, (www.northcascades.com), $79 for the night (realized whenI started trying to make a reservation that it was the day before, I wanted to stay on a Friday in a gorgeous mountain town. This was the only place I could find with availability.
I woke up around 5:45am today to, shockingly, a pretty busy house. Rebecca has to leave the house at 6:30 to get to the hospital, Tim was away because he had an overnight shift, and Tim's mom, Mary, is yoga woman extraordinaire, so wakes up super early. Rebecca left, I made some coffee for Mary and I, and started packing up my bike. This took me longer than I had expected. I wanted to leave the house by 6:45am to return my rental car to the rental car place, which opens up at 7am, and take off from there. I didn't leave the house until 7:15 or so, which was starting to make me stressed out. When I loaded up my bike, it was a lot heavier than I thought it would be. I had never ridden with panniers and I was surprised my bike was so heavy. I decided to leave some of the bars that I bought the day before at Trader Joe's. For the record, here is what I'm carrying on my bike:
Running shoes
Flip Flops
2 t shirts
pair of running/hang out shorts
Pajama shorts
Pair of jeans
Polo shirt
Casual shirt I can wear in public
2 spare pairs of underwear
1 spare sports bra
1 spare pair of socks
My mini laptop
Camera
Various chargers: blackberry, camera, ipod
Bike lock (not a super heavy one, but sort of heavy)
Toiletries: contact stuff, glasses, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, advil/meds
Jacket
Fleece
Long underwear
Snacks: one of every variety of bar from Trader Joe's
Copy of Atlas Shrugged that I stole from Kristys bookshelf before I left
Bike stuff: 2 spare bike tubes, bike tools, grease, tire patch kit
Stuff on my bike/on me:
Biking shorts (the hott kind with the ass pads)
Biking jersey
Helmet
Biking shoes
Air pump
2 water bottles
Cycling gloves
Speedometer
GPS
Cell phone
So, I guess looking at it now it looks like quite a bit. I guess I could have done without the jeans and shirts I can wear in public, but I felt like I might want to head into town somewhere in something other than athletic gear. Atlas Shrugged seems clearly like a packing error, I may ship it from somewhere. Otherwise, the rest of it is pretty necessary.
Back to the ride. Getting out of Seattle/Everett was a pain in the ass. Lots of turns, very up and down hilly, lots of lights and stop/go, lots of cars. It took longer to get to open road than I thought – like 35-40 miles. A big chunk was on one of those almost-highways with crappy strip malls. The one gem I took away was the brilliant business idea of: Bikini Barristas. That's right. You go to a little hut, you order your latte, and the two girls inside are wearing Bikinis. I thought it was a one-off shop, but I saw several. Someone is taking Hooters to the coffee market. I like it.
It finally got pretty whenI hit 530NE. The scenery was stunning – ice-capped mountains, open fields, streams. Around 50-60 miles in, I decided to take a break. There was a river and a little road that went down to it. I pulled off , unclipped my left food, and immediately fell over. It hurt. I mean, I wasn't moving, but my bike is all heavy and I wasn't used to it. I recovered quickly and walked down the path that was littered with signs that said 'No trespassing' and 'Private Property'. Eh, whatever.
I took a rest in the shade and put on sunscreen – something I forgot to do in the morning. That was really, really stupid. By mid-day the sun was hot and bright and killing my arms and shoulders. I sat by the river for a bit – it was gorgeous. I had a snack.
The next 25 miles were gorgeous. I took a few pictures, but mainly stayed on the road. The road was pretty smooth, lots of ups and downs. I felt pretty good, but the sun started hurting my shoulders and my ass was starting to hurt. I took another break in Darrington, got some water, a diet coke, and some string cheese. I met a woman who was on a bike ride and talked to her. My phone had lost signal.
The rest of the ride just got more and more gorgeous, and my ass was hurting more and more. And my shoulders, too. I rolled into Rockport and got to my little motel around 4PM. With my 1 hour break, getting lost, and my ass, I made pretty good time.
Showered, washed my clothes, and went to the restaurant at the RV/campground I am staying at. I had a salad and a veggie burger. It was like 5:30 when I ate dinner. I talked to some guy and he said that the road through the park to my next destination is pretty hilly, so I figured I should start early. Plus, the heat won't be as bad then. I'm hoping to start riding around 6am. Sun rises here at likd 4:30 and sets at like 10PM. It's crazy since it's so North.
At dinner, I grabbed some maps since there is no internet or cell service for me to map tomorrow. It was weird to sit in a restaurant and eat alone. I know the roads I'm going on, but I'm a little nervous that I don't have a place to stay. I'm assuming I will be able to find one in either Winthrop or Twisp, WA. Twisp is about 10 miles farther, so if I feel good, I will shoot to make it there. I'm not sure how I will feel or how hard the inclines will be.
Some thoughts on day 1: not wearing sunscreen is stupid. I need to make sure I have enough water – I went through 3 bottles and I'm still drinking. I'm hardly peeing at all. Breaks are good to take. I need to figure out a way to make my ass hurt less. Staying somewhere without internet sucks. I can't download more NPR podcasts, can't map the next day, can't get a hotel for the next day, etc. I should snack more during the ride. I still need to figure out how to work my handheld GPS.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
End of Kili/London - 6/20-6/22
The hike down the last day was pretty uneventful. We woke up, had our ritual hot drink in the tent, breakfast, and then delivered the tips to everyone. It was a really fun ceremony. 26 staff in all helped us up the mountain: 3 guides, one cook, assistant cook, and then 21 various porters in charge of carrying our stuff, setting up the toilet tent, setting up our living tents, etc. We called their names individually and then gave them their individual tips. After, they sang and danced for us, we packed up, and hiked down the rest of the mountain.
The four hours or so we hiked down the mountain was really pleasant. We quickly moved into the rainforest eco system, which is gorgeous. I got to talk to Lenore a lot, which was nice. The strenuous days were fun, but it was hard to really talk to people that much.
We finished up, took some pictures, had a beer and lunch, and headed back to the hotel.
That night, we had dinner at the hotel after we all took very long and much needed showers. 6 days without showering may be a record for me. The shower felt awesome. I think we all felt very pretty after getting clean. We also had our 'Certificates' delivered. Apparently, a certificate saying that you summited Kilimanjaro is very important to prove that you actually did it. Whenever we told people that we summited, the locals would ask 'did you get your certificate?' Thank god, we did.
The next day, Kim and I slept in, Bea went to fly to Spain, and the rest of the group went off on their Safari. Kim and I just relaxed in Arusha, caught up with email, and got ready for our long journey the next day.
6/22
Kim and I woke up at around 6:30am for our bus ride from Arusha to Nairobi. I will keep details minimal for this long day of travel. It went something like this:
8am-3PM LONG bus ride from Arusha to Nairobi. Dirty, bumpy, uncomfortable, hot.
3PM-10PM: layover in Nairobi for flight to London
10PM-5AM: Flight from Nairobi to Paris
5AM-10AM: Layover in Paris
10AM-10:15AM (time change): Flight to London
When I got to London I said farewell to Kim (and happy birthday!) since she still had to go from London to Chicago, then from Chicago to Texas. I took the train in to London, met Karen at her work for lunch, then went to her house in Greenwich.
My time in London was lovely. I hung out, got some sleep, ran, tried to make some calls, and went out with Zlatin. It was good to relax before heading to Mykonos....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
