Jay Eagen, Certified Professional Coach
Energy Leadership Index -- Master Practitioner
COR.E Dynamics / Transitions Dynamics Specialist
Ride Across America Blog & Daily Ride
(Scroll down for Daily Ride Log & Summary)
Daily Ride Blog
Strava Ride Tracker
Monday, June 20: day one has arrived for real. Meeting Barb & John at the Conoco on 160 at 7:30 a.m. Hard to believe that what started as "how about" 9 months ago has turned into the real thing. Today we have about an 11 hour drive to Twin Falls, Idaho. Wish us luck! Made it to Riverside RV Park in Heyburn, Idaho, located right on the Snake River. 5 hours driving by Jay; 6 hours by Cath. Did a 4 mile walk looking for ice cream. Song of the day: Wild Child by the Black Keys.
Tuesday, June 21: Traveled from Idaho through Oregon to Wenatchee, WA along the Snake River and eventually the Columbia River. The orchards and vineyards along the Columbia River are expansive and spectacular. Camping at Wenatchee Confluence State Park. Song of the day: Green Onions by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (live).
Wednesday, June 22: Drove about 4 hours from Wenatchee to Anacortes, WA including over Stevens Pass. Found our campsite at Washington Park and John and Jay undertook a 10 mile "prologue" ride around Anacortes while Cath went on a 4 mile hike.
Thursday, June 23: We departed Anacortes as a foursome after touching our bike tires in the Pacific to commence the ride. Barb and Cath doubled back after 12 miles while John and Jay continued. Cath added entertainment by failing to clip out at a stoplight and crashing. Our planned rendezvous in Lyman didn't work out so we reconnected with Cath in Concrete (or Cement as John called it), 53 miles in, where we refueled to complete the ride to Marblemount, WA (75 miles). Camping overnight in Glacier Peak campground. Song of the day:
Soak Up the Sun by Sheryl Crow.
New addition: sock of the day.
Friday, June 24: Big climbing day in the Cascades going from 300 feet above sea level in Marblemount, WA to 5,400 feet at the top of Washington pass with options of finishing in Mazama or continuing on to Winthrop where we had RV park reservations. Steepest grades were 8% on the climbs with the longest at 11 miles. Jay bonked a mile from the top of Rainy pass but fortunately Cath and Barb were there with food so that the final climb was possible. We then had an amazing descent to Mazama. Ultimately, Barb joined Jay for the rest of the ride to Winthrop concluding an 87 mile day with 7,000 vertical feet of climbing. Picture atop Rainy Pass before the final climb to Washington Pass
Song of the Day: Walking the Dog by Rufus Thomas
Sock of the day:
Saturday, June 25: Relatively short ride today, only 46 miles, but with a 10 mile climb and 3000 foot vertical gain. Cath & Barb drove ahead to the top of Loup Loup Pass and rode down to meet John & Jay, & then turned to ride back up as a foursome. The boys then had a wonderful curvy and fast descent. Temps are rising with a high in the 90s tomorrow. Staying at Carl Precht Memorial RV Park in Omak, WA, but don't know who Carl Precht was or why he would have wanted an RV Park named after him . . . ? We must be doing ok as the 46 mile ride felt pretty comfortable.
Song of the Day: Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash
Sock(s) of the day:
Sunday, June 26: Today's ride was from Omak, WA to Republic, WA, ending at our campsite at Gold Mountain RV Park after 72 miles and 4,700 feet of climbing. Today's climbs were more spaced out with breaks in between. Cath & Barb joined the boys for a portion of the climb. We had our first dose of serious headwind during the first 20 miles before turned direction into the climbing. [Editors note: John & Jay are becoming more & more particular about road surfaces, particularly not being fond of chip seal which is harsher & slower. Fresh smooth pavement is relished!]
Song of the Day: Exodus by Bob Marley & the Wailers
Sock of the Day: [Editors note: today's sock was recommended by our son Keiran. The brand is Mint & however they undertake the weave is absolutely marvelous as they feel wonderful all day long.]
Monday, June 27: With apologies, we are a day behind in our posting as we had no cell or internet at our RV spot in Colville National Forest. Monday was another climbing day with a 12-mile climb to the top of Sherman Pass & a super descent down the other side. Barb & Cath began the day with an attempted rails to trails ride that turned out quite rough, & instead rode Old Kettle Falls road. Upon our arrival in Colville, we learned that our RV campsite was 25 miles away in the National Forest. John wasn't "fulfilled" with our ride to that point so he decided to get back on his bike, turning a 55-mile day into an 83-mile day (while Jay made the call to stop at 61 miles, considering that it was now 91 degrees.)
Song of the Day: Ventura Highway by America
Sock of the Day:
Tuesday, June 28: Because of the prior day's ride split, Cath & Jay got up early to return to Colville so that Jay could ride the final segment John rode yesterday, while Barb drove ahead to do work in Ione & John relaxed at Lake Gillette to await Jay's arrival. Jay had the first rain riding of the trip with some light showers riding the climbs out of Colville. John & Jay then rode the final15 miles to Ione together which included a superb descent with smooth pavement & wide flowy curves. We begged Cath to drive us back up to the top so we could do it again, but she wouldn't do it, stating on principle, "you have to earn your turns boys!" Tomorrow will be our last day of riding in Washington as we will cross over into Idaho. I-da-ho, here we come!
Song of the Day: It's too Late to Turn Back Now by the Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose
Sock or No Sock of the Day: Which do you prefer? (Cual prefieres?)
Wednesday, June 29: We departed as a foursome from Cedar RV park in Ione, with Cath & Barb turning around at 10 miles to get a roundtrip 20 mile ride in. Meanwhile, Jay & John enjoyed a 51-mile long headwind riding to Newport, WA. The scenery was beautiful particularly when we rode along a buffalo herd grazing nearby. We briefly rode in Idaho before crossing the river back into Washington. Cath had a calf cramp in bed last night so she needs to start drinking her pickle juice (thanks Janet!). Stats for the first week of riding: 437 miles & 25,000 vertical feet of climbing. With that, not surprisingly, Jay is hungry (sometimes hangry) all the time. Tonight we are camping at the KOA Diamond Lake and will cross back into Idaho first thing tomorrow.
Song of the Day: I Got a Name by Jim Croce
Sock of the Day: Castelli spirals.
Thursday, June 30: We are a day behind on our updates because we had no internet as we were RV "boondocking" which means no electricity, water and certainly no internet. Our ride today was from Newport, WA to Clark Fork, ID, where we camped at Sam Owen Park on a gorgeous lake. This was our only stop in Idaho. Because we had no power, John chose to ride his non e-bike, so we were both human powered for today's ride which followed a river the entire route. The bulk of our travel was on somewhat busy roads and we both are getting tired of the minority of drivers who don't give us a little room and then accelerate as they pass blowing fumes into our faces. To be expected but unnerving & uncomfortable. We have rarely encountered other cyclists heading our way but have often seen others coming West opposite us.
Song of the Day: Blackbird by The Beatles
Sock of the Day:
Friday, July 1: We departed Hope/Clark Fork, ID and shortly after crossed into Montana. John was hoping the drivers would prove more courteous but that wasn't the case. The bulk of the ride was in the Cabinet Mountains region and the scenery was spectacular. John was back on his e-bike so we buzzed along at a good pace, taking "pull" turns. Jay is now taking cut up PB&J sandwiches as a real food substitute in place of processed bars and the like. Today's ride was 70 miles and we're now at 570 total miles and passed 30,000 vertical feet for the trip. Tomorrow, a big climbing day with nearly 6,000 vertical feet. Weather is looking ominous the day after with a 70% chance of rain on Sunday.
Song of the Day: Viva la Vida by Coldplay
Sock of the Day: Specialized Cactus Cup gift socks.
Saturday, July 2: Our ride route from Libby to Eureka, MT offered us an option of taking an alternative route to the main route that appeared to be a bit longer. It was via a road that is closed in winter and more off the beaten path. Possibly encountering fewer cars was appealing, so we went for it, and what a great decision it was. Barb rode the first 15 miles with us, then we started the alternative route that began near the Libby dam that creates a gorgeous lake that we rode above for the next 45 miles. Cath leapfrogged us in the RV because there were no services for 68 miles. Cath has suffered 2 calf cramps during the trip, so she tried experimenting with pickle juice, kindly gifted by our friend Janet Wolf. We'll see if it does the trick. We eventually crossed the lake via a long bridge and then had a 13 mile ride to Eureka, finishing up a 75 mile day. Later that day Cath & Jay went exploring Eureka by bike, finding the all important "homemade" ice cream shop, although Cath thought her chocolate chip cone was nothing to write home about. Cath (soigneur in training) cooked a batch of banana pancakes on the griddle to prepare a bit of riding fuel food in advance as well as Asian stir fry vegetables and teriyaki chicken for dinner. Weather report for tomorrow continues to look foreboding.
Song of the Day: Way You Do the Thing You Do UB40
Sock of the Day: Sweet green Castellis.
Sunday, July 3: Unfortunately, the weather man was right on, as we awoke at 5:30 a.m. to the pitter patter of rain on the RV roof. It stopped soon after so we made the call to get out early and go for it. Of course, as soon as we started riding the rain began again in earnest. We got a 15 minute no rain break in the middle of the ride, but otherwise the 38 miles ride was in a downpour. Jay was soaked to the bone, while John had a much better rain jacket (yes, lesson learned). About 10 miles from Whitefish, MT, the road shoulder got very narrow and the cars were more plentiful and some buzzed us pretty close, so we made the call to quit early. Half an hour later, the rain stopped (of course!). The forecast for tomorrow is more of the same, so we will move up our rest day a day early and then hope to ride into Glacier National Park from the east on Tuesday (our original rest day). We will be RV "boondocking" in St. Mary's, MT the next two days so you may not hear from us if we don't have internet.
Song of the Day: Happy by Pharrel Williams
Sock of the Day: intended to take a photo of the super drenched socks but forgot -- sorry!
Monday, July 4: Happy Independence day, one and all! With the expected rain, we have moved our rest day to today and will be driving around Glacier National Park to our campsite in St. Mary, MT on the east side of the Park and plan to ride Going-to-the-Sun Road from the east tomorrow. Divide Creek Campground is a labor of love and their trail is a work in progress but we learned a lot about plants and trees along the way. We saw a flock of Lady Slippers for the first time. We also learned that Jay could outfit his mini-cooper for adventure like this guy with roof tent and bike rack but Jay's sticking with the LTV for now.
Songs of the Day: A few choices for you: The Star Spangled Banner by Lady Gaga; America the Beautiful by Ray Charles; and God Bless America by Kate Smith (courtesy of our brother in law, Matt Mackie.)
Sock of the Day: no riding today
Tuesday, July 5: Taking yesterday as a rest day along with having two camp nights at Divide Creek in St. Mary, MT enabled us to plan a foursome out & back ride in Glacier National Park and sleep in! We departed around 10 a.m., late for us on the trip, and went at a leisurely, sight-seeing pace, stopping numerous times to take photos. And with good reason, as the sights are truly amazing, as the accompanying photos attest. Going to the Sun Road was not completely open, so we could only ride to the car stopping point (14 miles) and then were allowed to ride another 3 miles past, for hikers and bikers only, until the road was completely closed. This added distance was really special, with no cars and very few other humans, so it seemed we had the park to ourselves. If you haven't been to Glacier, make sure you make a plan to do so; it is special. As we had a relatively easy ride, we went for a hike along St. Mary lake late afternoon. In all, a wonderful day.
Song of the Day: Bicycle Race by Queen. (Seems quite appropriate.)
Socks of the Day: captured at 6,000 feet at the furthest moment of our ride.
Wednesday, July 6: After a wonderful two day visit, we had to leave St. Mary, MT and Glacier National Park behind & continue our journey. Based on advice provided by friends who had done this route a few years earlier, we drove from St. Mary to Cut Bank, MT, where John and Jay started riding. This eliminated crossing the border into Canada and then back into the U.S. This also brought us to a very different landscape, out of the mountains and onto the high plains and prairie for an approximate 50 mile ride. Thunderstorms were forecast for noon, so we left St. Mary at 7 a.m. and began riding at Cut Bank at 8:30 a.m. The storms ended up not arriving until later afternoon, so we were good either way. The ride consisted of lengthy rollers that weren't super steep but the length (and wind) made them a bit of a challenge. We hit a stiff headwind for 17 miles along Rt. 44, but then had a tailwind for the final 9 miles to Conrad, MT and our RV camp at Pondera RV Park. Today's ride took us through Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Jay used his strong ice cream locating skills to sniff out huckleberry soft serve at the local IGA -- not to be missed!. We are of course following the TDF and are concerned about Primoz' dislocated shoulder and glad Sepp and Quinn survived the cobbles.
Song of the Day: You Get What You Give by the New Radicals.
Sock of the Day: Pearl Izumi
Thursday, July 7: We awoke in Conrad, MT to an improved forecast with less chance of thundershowers during the riding portion of the day. Cath & Barb joined us for the first 10 miles to get in a 20-mile out and back. A mile later after taking a left turn, it was "game on" with a headwind that lasted the rest of the day. We rode parallel to I-15 nearly all day, but on a frontage road that until we neared Great Falls, was devoid of traffic. After crossing the Missouri River into downtown GF, we departed from our map route to visit some bike shops for some needed supplies. Barb needed to participate in a business call so John ended his day and Jay proceeded alone, doubling back to the bike trail route, which was great until his GPS got confused going through a tunnel and he tried 5 different routes before getting the right one, wasting 20 minutes and adding a few more miles so that a 68-mile planned day ended up at 76 miles and a much slower pace than intended. This necessitated an emergency lunch visit to Panda Express, our first restaurant meal of the trip. Tomorrow we head further into what the route map refers to as "the Big Open" with warnings of no services for 75 miles and then no services for 66 miles (note the series of unchanging landscape photos captured today). Our trip to Hobson, MT is on tap tomorrow for 78 miles and likely very limited internet so it may be a day or two for our next blog update.
Song of the day: Bigger Than My Body by John Mayer.
Sock of the Day: Super plaid, one of my favorites for MTB.
Friday, July 8: What started out as a fast and fun ride evolved into our most challenging ride of the trip, to date. 45 miles into our ride from Great Falls we were flowing along with little wind and averaging 17 mph. We stopped along the side of the road at the RVs with Cath and Barb to get water and food, and then the brutal winds came. The next 35 miles were hard and Jay limped into Hobson, MT flying along at 9 mph. So, a hard 80 mile day is in the books. A word to the wise, when they talk about "rollers" out here, they aren't kidding. The climb portion of the "rollers" were each about a mile long and often 6% grade. A dozen or so of those along with the wind made for a challenge. We are boondock camping at Ackley State Park outside of Hobson and were surprised to find internet. As in the photos, Jay gave a go at swimming in the nearby lake, which was quite refreshing, to say the least.
Song of the Day: Windy by the Association. Although the song is about a girl, the title seems appropriate for today's ride.
Sock of the Day: Smartwool.
Saturday, July 9: As different as two days could be that was yesterday and today. First, because there were no facilities at Ackley Lake State Park, we drove from Hobson to Lewistown, MT to do an RV sewer dump (sorry no pictures), and began our ride there. This shortened the target ride (53 miles) for today but more on this later. Today we either had a helping sidewind or a true tailwind so we made good time. The ride out of Lewistown started with an 8 mile climb which topped out at 6% but led to a 10-mile descent as reward. Upon arrival in Winnett, MT, Jay made the call to keep going to take a chunk of mileage out of tomorrow's route, so John stopped but Barb joined Jay for a 14- mile additional trek. After arrival and cleaning up, Jay and Cathy went on the usual search for treats which was rewarded with a find, a huckleberry ice cream sandwich at the local General Store (i.e., the only store in town). We also found the Bar & Grill where we later had dinner, resulting in the strawberry/rhubarb pie with whip cream find (see attached photo). Our good friend Bob Capper asked about what bikes we are riding. Jay is riding a Trek Emonda carbon frame road bike with a compact double chainring (50/34),11-32 cassette and Di2 electronic shifting. John is riding two different bikes, most days (when power is available) he rides his Cannondale e-bike. Today he rode his Trek FX4 hybrid (non e-bike), which explains why he didn't ride 14 more miles with crazy Jay. So when John rides the e-bike, Jay often uses his "draft"; when John rides his Trek, like today, he often uses Jay's draft. Tomorrow our target is Jordan, MT, which is at the end of section on the bike route map that says, "warning: no services for 75 miles." Wish us luck!
Song of the Day: Mean Old World by T-Bone Walker
Sock of the Day: New Smartwool purchased in Great Falls, MT.
Sunday, July 10: Our Sunday in Winnett began early with Cath getting up and going for a gravel ride. As multiple thunderstorms had rolled throughout the night, she got a good taste of Montana mud, as her adjacent pictures attest. Jay and John were welcomed with a favorable wind, so Jay pushed the pace for today's ride to Jordan. For the first 45 minutes not a single car passed us, which was sweet. Another friend, R. U. Lost, submitted a question about how we know where to go when riding our bikes? We are riding the Northern Tier route as mapped out by Adventure Cycling (www.adventurecycling.org). John has an app version on his iPhone while Jay has a gpx file version on his Garmin bike computer. On the bike computer, Jay can alternate between the route map and his more traditional screen (speed, mileage, grade, time, etc.). When we started our ride today, the map said the next turn is in 150 miles --yes, we have been riding RT 200 across Montana for a long way.
Song of the Day: Free Fallin' by Tom Petty
Sock of the Day: Stance.
Monday, July 11: No exciting culinary treats were found in Jordan, so no titillating news to share on that front. We have started to come across other cyclists, nearly all of whom are bike packing the Northern Tier route. Today we met a pair that had started in Anacortes, WA on May 23, a month before us. Another that we met in Winnett is riding from Bowling Green to Anacortes. Fully loaded, his bike and gear weighs about 65 pounds. We're happy with the easier RV assisted approach. Our 68 mile ride to Circle, MT put us over 1,100 miles and 50,000 vertical feet via 18 rides. Fueled by PBJs, banana pancakes and Skratch, we are reasonably efficient. Conversely, for Jay and Cath's RV alone, we've spent $997 on diesel so far on the trip (but of course, Cath is a bit of a lead foot). Tomorrow we ride to Medora, ND so today is our last day in Montana. We have truly enjoyed every mile of it (well, maybe not including the 35-mile trudge to Hobson). Took a little bike ride into "downtown" Circle and savored homemade mint chip ice cream then scouted out the local park and the big ag machinery.
Song of the Day: A Change Would Do You Good by Sheryl Crow
Sock of the Day: Durango Wheel Club
Tuesday, July 12: The editors have received feedback from some readers that there are insufficient pictures of Cathy, so today's post includes photos that either include her or were taken by her. She also featured extensively in today's riding adventures. It began with our last miles in Montana and included a few twists. John and Jay started out from Circle, MT for the first leg, about 49 miles to Glendive, MT, where we would take a lunch break and visit Makoshika State Park and see the KT line (quiz: who out there knows what the KT line is? Send answers to Cath or Jay by e-mail or text). After our mile and 1/2 hike, Cath joined Jay for the second round of riding, from Glendive, across the North Dakota state line to Beach, ND. This resulted in a big riding day for Jay, 90 miles, the longest of the trip so far. We are overnighting in Medora, ND, home of Teddy Roosevelt National Park, a true tourist town and also the beginning of a 150 mile hiking/biking trail through the North Dakota badlands that looks like an inviting return destination. Tomorrow, we ride to Dickinson, at 17,000 people, a true metropolis compared to the towns we visited over the last week.
Song of the Day: You're Still the One by Orleans
Sock of the Day: Stance
Wednesday, July 13: Song of the Day: Against the Wind by Bob Seeger
(for a windy day in North Dakota)
Sock of the Day: Dakota Cyclery (supporting the local bike shop in Medora) Did you know there are 150 miles of single track trail in the Badlands of ND? The Maah Daah Hey Trail and the Deuce Trail systems. Too bad we did not have mountain bikes or else Jay would have detoured here for a couple of days. Today we backtracked by RV to Beach, ND from Medora to pick up where we left off on Tuesday. John is not feeling well so Barb and Cath joined Jay for the ride from Beach to Medora. Jay welcomed them as the weather had changed to a strong wind from the Southeast/east. As we were riding east, it was either a strong cross wind or headwind, all day. John chose to take the whole day off so once we reached Medora, Jay continued on solo with Cath providing regular sag wagon check-ins for the 64 mile ride. We are now in Dickinson, ND; Jay and Cath ventured out for dinner finding the pretty cool Phat Fish Brewery including her fancy Ahi Mediterranean salad (best ever!) as pictured (and some more huckleberry ice cream for Jay, of course).
Thursday, July 14: John's chest cold has not alleviated so Jay set out solo today from Dickinson, ND riding Route 10, a scenic byway for most of the route. John and Barb caught up with Cath in the RV 22 miles in, so Cath then rolled out her bike and joined Jay -- yes for the remainder of the ride, another 52 miles! The only unpleasant part of today's ride, aside from an occasional tough wind, was an 8 mile stretch of I-94 which had a nice shoulder but included 8-foot wide rumble strips every 20 feet that only left about a foot of smooth road on the far right. At least that forced us further from the cars and trucks screaming by at 70 plus mph. We are about to got out and check out New Salem but have the sense there isn't a whole lot to see. Also, while riding today we passed from mountain time to central time so we lost an hour. Forecast for tomorrow is a high of 89 so it's starting to heat up a bit.
Song of the Day: Deeper than the Holler by Randy Travis (Was that a Whippoorwill we heard today?)
Sock of the Day: SmartWool
Friday, July 15: Each day of the trip seems to come with some form of surprise. Today it was fog, pea soup fog, for the first 3 hours of the ride. Jay, concerned about the temp forecast along with the central time change, proposed a really early start, 6:30 a.m. When we awoke at 5:30 a.m., it seemed darker than normal, which was the result of the fog. John and Jay were a bit nervous about cars being able to see us, much less us seeing as our glasses immediately fogged up too, and wouldn't stay clear. We planned to do a foursome ride along the 15-mile long bike trails through Bismarck so we met the girls outside of town and they did a 26 mile out and back. When we separated, John and Jay had 42 miles in with 34 still to go. On approaching Hazelton, ND, our target for the day, we saw a sign for the Lawrence Welk Highway. How many of you out there recall him? Turns out he was from nearby Strasburg, ND and this weekend there is a celebration in his honor. Sorry, we didn't attend. An adjacent photo shows Chef Cath at work with her griddle, grilling up banana pancakes which have become a riding staple on the trip, thanks to the recipe supplied by friends, Linda and Mick Olmstead -- easy to eat while riding and very tasty!
Sock of the Day: a Mint repeat from earlier in the trip.
Song of the Day: Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton
Saturday, July 16: Today's surprise came in the form of rain, pretty much the entire morning. We got a later start out of Hazelton because we were RV camping at a Corps of Engineers park (where we went swimming in Lake Oahe) that was 14 miles from where we had stopped riding in Hazelton proper. The rain was relatively light and it held off the forecasted high temps till about noon for our ride to Gackle, ND. While shorter than the day before, the wind always seemed to be hitting us from a direction where drafting was hard. Just as the rain was ending we met up with Cath in the RV along a section of road that had an abundance of little green frogs that seemed to think it was a good idea to hang out on the pavement resulting in much frog carnage (so sad). Upon our arrival in Gackle (of which there is not much), we did find a Tastee Freez which Jay immediately visited for a huge blueberry soft serve. Cath and Jay returned for a visit while doing laundry (cherry milkshake this time), and Barb and John went there for dinner. The forecast for tomorrow is hotter still. We'll be riding to Enderlin, ND, which, hard to believe, is already our last stop in ND before we cross over into Minn. near Fargo.
Song of the Day: Shiny Happy People by R.E.M.
Sock of the Day: Castelli, also a repeat.
Sunday, July 17: Quite a few of our followers who have checked out our Strava ride posts took note that today's ride was pretty straight. In fact, we took a right turn out of Gackle and didn't take a single turn until we we reached our target of Enderlin, 74 miles later. Barb joined Jay for the initial 22 miles of today's ride, with John then taking over for the balance of the ride. It was a smart call by Barb, as we had both a helping side wind and freshly laid tarmac that was a smooth as a baby's bottom. The presence of hundreds upon hundreds of tiny frogs continued, hopping out of our way, and sometimes not. For overnight, Jay messed up in his RV bookings, placing Barb and John in one campground and he & Cath in another. They weren't super far apart but cell service was pretty weak so communications were limited, thus this post coming a day late. At Clausen Springs, Jay did his best to impress with a somewhat graceful dive into the nearby lake. Cath then got honors in their latest gin rummy round, defeating Jay 5 to 3. Tomorrow our last ride in ND, passing through Fargo, a first for all of us. What interesting things might we find?
Song of the Day: When will I be Loved by Linda Ronstadt
Sock of the Day: Another round from the Mint collection, but stay tuned, new sock editions have been acquired and will be debuted soon!
Monday, July 18: Today's riding began with a solo adventure by Catherine the Great, arising early and departing at 6 a.m. to ride 28 miles of both gravel and paved from Clausen Springs, back to Enderlin where today's RAM ride would begin. It took Jay, hurtling along in the RV, all the way to the last mile before catching her. John and Jay then started out together from Enderlin riding the last section of Highway 46, now officially known as the Frog Dodge Route. Regrettably, yesterday's helping winds were rarely found and after a 30-mile warm-up to Kindred, ND, Jay found less and less power in his legs to the point he cried out, "John just leave me." It was a slog to regard all slogs (oh and did I mention the 93 degree temps?) and fortunately some 30 miles later it was given a break by our decision to visit the very cool Great Northern bike shop in Fargo. The shop is in an old train station and is quite large and very well done with copious supply of bikes, gear and attire, some of which was acquired by our travelers (more on that to come). Jay and John managed to complete the 78- mile trek before the RV girls arrived at our rendezvous location, with Cath having gotten lost. Something about the North Dakota roads being easier to follow than Minnesota roads, or perhaps the famous tales about Fargo were at play in confusing our intrepid bike Sherpa? Yes, who knew that the bridge over the Buffalo River, led one into a new state when heading east. For tomorrow, our first full day of riding in the Gopher state, along with our second effort at "first come, first serve" camping near Two Inlets, MN. Cath is presently outside about to again use her new griddle, an activity she has enjoyed more than any other on the RAM trip.
Sock of the Day: repeat...
Song of the Day: Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me George Michael & Elton John (Live)
Tuesday, July 19: Happy Birthday Brianna! Today's ride was 77 miles from Averill, MN to Two Inlets, MN, with Jay and John out there together as a duo. Jay experienced another riding power outage of sorts early in the ride, but recovered to have a good day. We finally got off of the "no end in sight" roads with non helping winds onto some nice curving roads through the Tamarac National Wildlife refuge where we saw a swan family with 7 "swanlings" and lots of gorgeous lily pads blooming. John even rescued a little tortoise that was hiding in its shell in the middle of the road. Tonight we are camping at Hungry Man Campground on -- you guessed it -- Hungry Man Lake -- which has wonderfully nice warm water, so Jay, John & Barb went for a swim while Cath lounged on the dock. We have had a reprieve from yesterday's heat with temps 10 degrees or more less. That's great, as we are RV boondocking so no power for air conditioning. Tomorrow, John will ride part of the route before he and Barb head to Grand Forks to visit John's aunt. Tomorrow's ride will include a big section of the Minnesota Heartland Trail, which was one of the first rail to trail conversions in the nation.
Song of the Day: You Can't Always Get What You Want by The Rolling Stones
Sock of the Day: Triple Stripe by Swiftwick thanks to last stop at Great Northern Bicycle CO in Fargo, ND.
Wednesday, July 20: Today was a day of variety with all four riders in action. Jay and John started the day together riding from Hungry Man Lake to Park Rapids, where John stopped and Barb joined Jay to begin the ride on the Heartland Rail Trail to Walker. Cath had gone ahead to Walker in the RV to begin riding back towards Park Rapids, as did John, but a bit later. Eventually, we all connected and completed the ride as a foursome to Walker. We were surprised to find how heavily forested the rail trail was, and the shade was welcome to keep things cool. Barb and John headed off in their RV to visit John's aunt and nephew in Grand Rapids and will rejoin us tomorrow evening. After Walker, Jay continued solo eventually connecting with the Paul Bunyan rail trail to Backus, MN and our RV campground for tonight. Passing through Hackensack, MN, Jay assisted two cyclists who had a flat tire and didn't know how to replace the inner tube. Jay also encountered this rather large woman, and it's everyone's guess who she is? In MN, searching for the correct grade of fuel for the sag-wagon is now part of the equation since we need low-sulfur diesel (not that biodiesel stuff). A little mishap with the refrigerator settings resulted in disposal of some food items but our stock was low anyway. Thankfully the fridge is back in the cold zone and restocked for Jay the real Hungry-Man.
Song of the Day: Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
Sock of the Day: Cath got some new socks at Great Northern Bicycle shop too! Sock Guy
Thursday, July 21: Jay continued on the Paul Bunyan Trail route from Backus heading out solo while Cath drove ahead to Nisswa where she hopped on her bike to ride to Pequot Lakes meeting Jay and then they rode together to Merrifield where Cath turned around and returned to Nisswa for the RV.
Twenty-four years ago (while very pregnant with Keiran) we were in Brainerd, MN for a Rauth Family Reunion hosted by cousins John & Kathy Rauth on Gull Lake and today Cath drove through Brainerd and past Gull Lake again remembering cousin Jimmy (RIP) who I believe did a pig-roast and a boat ride out on the waters of Gull Lake. About 50 miles of today's ride was on rail trail, largely the Paul Bunyan trail. Later it led to the Mississippi River trail, which was curvy, smooth and fun. Jay's computer showed the river to his right but it was so densely forested, he couldn't see it until he crossed it over a bridge. We are camping at Charles Lindbergh State Park, home to a zillion mosquitoes. We attempted to visit the Lindbergh museum but it is only open Fridays and Saturdays. Instead we had a late lunch/early dinner At the Black and White restaurant, recommended to us by the local bike shop. It turned out to be terrific, as the strawberry rhubarb crumble photo attests. Barb and John will be joining us here this evening, to continue the MN leg of the adventure tomorrow.
Song of the Day: Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Buble
Sock of the Day: new Swiftwicks!
Friday, July 22: The four of us are back together and happily left the mosquitoes with Charles Lindbergh as John, Barb and Jay set out toward Milaca, MN, with Cath leading the way in the RV. Barb rode about 10 miles and then turned back toward the mosquitoes to get the Wickman RV and catch up. Today's route was country roads and relatively short so after a quick break in Milaca after 56 miles, John and Jay decided to ride further past Milaca as the weather forecast for tomorrow includes possible thundershowers. We are camping tonight at Rum River Campground in Omania (pronounced like Romania), where only 6 RV sites are available for overnighters like us with all the rest booked for the entire summer. These are folks from the Twin Cities who come up every weekend to escape the city, and play and drink, and drink and maybe drink some. We were invited to a Saturday morning Bloody Mary party but will be on our bikes before it starts. Cath, Jay and John engaged in other sporting activities such as corn hole and shuffleboard. Tomorrow we head either to Shafer, MN or Osceola, WI depending on what the weather permits. Tomorrow night we will be overnighting with Cath's sister Veronica and our brother-in-law Paul at their Cabin. We'd like to wish our son Keiran well in tomorrow's elite men mountain bike national championships in Winter Park, CO. Unfortunately, he isn't feeling well, which seems to be his stroke of luck for this spring and summer, but we know he will give it his best. Also, best of luck to all of the other Durango riders competing, and get well soon to Riley Amos after his crash and broken collarbone; heal fast after your surgery, Riley.
Song of the Day: What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding by Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Sock of the Day: new diamond design by Swiftwick. {Cath's favorite!]
Saturday, July 23: After abstaining from the enticing Bloody Mary party at Rum River Campground, we got on the road at our usual time of 7:30 a.m. Cath drove Jay and John to the spot where they had concluded yesterday's ride, about 12 miles somewhere east of Milaca, MN for the ride to either Shafer, MN or Osceola, WI, weather permitting, with the night to be spent at the Paul & Veronica (Cath's sister) Putzier cabin on the St. Croix River in Lakeland, MN. Jay & John had a somewhat ironic encounter while in route, first with an Amish farmer driving his single horse buggy then immediately after almost being run over by a gargantuan piece of modern day farm equipment (it wasn't really that close but the thing was massive). As noted in the photos, the Putzier cabin is on stilts because several times the river has risen as high as the bottom of the cottage. We had a wonderful dinner with them and were regaled by daughter Catherine's travel stories to the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon, including bringing back home an invasive insect that had bored into her hip (yuck). Next, she will be departing in September for a year in Spain teaching English as a second language. Sounds like a great adventure but it appeared that Paul and Veronica are sorry to see the last one leave their nest. Tomorrow, on to Wisconsin for real.
Song of the Day: Pride (In the Name of Love) by U2
Sock of the Day: Another new pair of Swiftwicks, kind of electric blue . . .
Sunday, July 24: After departing the Putzier cabin, we drove back to Osceola, WI, so we are now officially "On Wisconsin" and starting our ride toward the northeast corner of the Badger state, our 6th riding state on the trip so far. As yesterday was our one month anniversary of riding, we thought some summary data on the first weeks of riding is in order, so here you go:
--# of Riding days: 31
--Total mileage: 2,011
--Average miles per ride: 65
--Total ascent: 71,845 vertical feet
--Total flat tires: 1
--Total days off: 1
--Longest ride: 90 miles
--Shortest ride: 35 miles
--Most picturesque ride: Glacier National Park
Hardest day in the saddle: 38 miles and 2 hours 30 minutes in pouring rain on July 3.
Most Fun Descent: downhill prior to Conrad, MT. Unexpected, few cars, smooth pavement, big flowing turns.
Now, back to today's ride and events. John and Jay immediately noticed one difference, the WI drivers are much less courteous than the average MN driver. What's up with that? Granted, the WI drivers still gave us plenty of room as they passed, but then they floor the gas pedal as they go by providing the accompanying burst of exhaust. It's a Sunday no less, where are they in a hurry to get to? The WI first ride also brought a change in terrain; lots of rollers so our vertical for today's ride went up compared to recent rides in MN and ND.
On a personal note, our lead Sherpa, Catherine the Magnificent, has been working hard to support us. But we don't want you all to think it's all work and no play for our heroine. A somewhat well known paparazzi snapped the attached under cover photos of her "Sherpyness" sunbathing (well, actually napping), risking life and limb (note how nervous he was such that his finger slipped into the lens!). All want to know where was the intrepid Jay when this incursion took place? Well, doing the laundry of course! We promise to return to being more focused on the riding in tomorrow's post.
Cath and Jay would like to congratulate their son Keiran on his racing efforts at the Mountain Bike Nationals in Winter Park this weekend. His training has been compromised by injury and sickness yet he hung in there and gave it his all, having fun in the process. Way to go K-Dog!!! And, congrats to the many national champs from Durango and all who rode their hearts out in Winter Park!
Song of the Day: I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash
Sock of the Day: passionate purple by Swiftwick.
Monday, July 25: Today's ride started in Haugen, WI and ended 85 miles later in Clam Lake, WI population: 125 (not including the clams or the frogs) but surprisingly our hotspot is powerful enough to update the blog. (I spoke too soon. Battery died before update could be completed.) Today was a sad day for our group, as John's mother passed away this morning while we were riding. John's sister alerted him via a phone call. Fortunately, John had been able to talk with his mom the night before. John and Barb plan to continue the trip to their end point in the Michigan UP and then head to Indiana so that John can meet with his sister to handle family affairs before returning to Colorado. Despite the sad news, John and Jay continued their ride with a long trek of 85 miles. We've noticed quite a few Elk crossing signs in this part of Wisconsin, which was a bit of a surprise. John explained that elk were repopulated in Wisconsin via a heard from Estes Park, Colorado. Our earlier opinion on WI drivers has been moderated as we now have had several come up behind us on a hill and slowly follow us up the hill before passing so they didn't have to pull into the left lane while not knowing if oncoming traffic is over the hill. Nice folks! The adjacent rustic road sign was quite appropriate as it came after a 5 mile section with many potholes and cracks and was truly rustic! We boondock camped at Day Lake outside Clam Lake, and enjoyed some swimming and comfortable, cool weather.
Song of the Day: (for the riders who are) Feelin' Stronger Every Day by Chicago
Sock of the Day: blue zingers.
Tuesday, July 26: Today's ride to Mercer, WI is a bit shorter and because we didn't have power while boondocking, John will ride his Trek non-e-bike. With that, Jay decided to ride his gravel bike for a change of pace. The ride started off with chillier temperatures but warmed up. After an early water/food check at 18 miles, the girls went ahead to Mercer intending to ride a bike trail that starts there. Cath then surprised Jay and John by showing up on her bike about 15 miles from Mercer, as Barb had a conference call. A few miles later, John decided to switch places, so he drove the RV to Mercer and Cath joined Jay. In route, we met a couple that are riding from San Francisco to Boston, where the husband will start grad school. They got married just before the bike trip and we all wondered what kind of test such a trip will be for a new marriage, no less the honeymoon? Later in the day, Cath and Barb ventured out to do the bike trail ride, so Cath had a nice 42- mile riding day. While they rode, Jay did the grocery shopping and ventured into town, passing the Clare d'Loon statue on the edge of town. We are overnighting at the Loon Lagoon Campground which has a very interesting "welcome to the shit show" sign at the office door. Tomorrow is our last full day of riding in Wisconsin before crossing into Michigan's Upper Peninsula, home state to Catherine Rauth Eagen.
Song of the Day: Good Day for a Good Day (acoustic) by Michael Franti.
Sock of the Day: zig-zaggin on the Trek Checkpoint gravel bike
Wednesday, July 27: Mercer, WI to Phelps, WI. You haven't heard from us in a bit as we had two consecutive nights of boondock camping and very limited internet to the extent that posting wasn't possible -- our apologies. Today's ride for John and Jay began with an extended ride of bike trails which were very well done and fun to ride. We went at a leisurely pace as the trails were curvy and wet and slippery from the heavy rain that fell last night. We even paused to admire the signs pointing to ice cream coming up but actually never saw the shops, which bummed out Jay. John switched to RV driving and Barb joined Jay for the remainder of the ride, during which Barb got an extended dose of rollers, one after another, after another. John went ahead to find campsites which were first come first serve at Spectacle Lake forest service campground. Upon arrival, what did Jay find in Phelps, but an ice cream shop, which led to a double dip bowl of black cherry. The campground was "only a few miles outside of town" so Barb loaded her bike on the RV and rode out with Cath while Jay decided to ride to it, learning along the way that 8 is now amongst what some folks refer to as "a few." Well, he needed to work off the ice cream. You'll note some roadside activities in today's photos. Cath found some wild blueberries so Jay and Barb joined in on the harvest at an RV pitstop. After a swim in Spectacle Lake, we hit the hay early. So went our last full ride in Wisconsin.
Song of the Day from the Sag-Wagon: I'll Be There for You by The Rembrandts
Sock of the Day: mint repeats
Thursday, July 28: Phelps, WI to Hardwood, MI in the UP Our transition ride from Wisconsin to Michigan was set to be a big day -- in the 80s (ended up being 87 to be exact). Jay and John rode as a pair the entire route where we again started to encounter logging trucks, although most were pretty courteous. Our riding ended nicely with about 30 miles of tailwind, which was good for the tiring legs because earlier in the day we encountered some interesting road conditions. One 3-mile section of road had had its pavement removed and we encountered the crews doing that work toward the end so that the road was soft dirt. Later we road a 6-mile section of road that should have been under construction as the road surface was extremely poor, with cracks, potholes, divots everywhere; the worst section of road since we were on the rustic road mentioned earlier. We were camping at Stromberg County campground -- again first come first serve -- so the girls went ahead with the RVs to get sites. It was only a mile and a quarter ride to the campground but just before the entrance the road spiked up to a 12% hill just to make sure we used up that last bit of energy. Cath cooked up some wonderful curry chicken and we ate dinner as a foursome and then watched sunset on the nearby lake.
Song of the Day: Everybody Deserves Music by Michael Franti
Sock of the Day: swiftwick
Friday, July 29: Hardwood, MI to Rapid River, MI One knows that one is making progress east when you cross into the eastern time zone, which we did today during our relatively short ride of 54 miles. We had a great tailwind for the first 30 miles or so until we reached Escanaba on the coast of Lake Michigan. It's a pretty industrial town that then gives way to lake resorts and towns and a nice bike trail along the coast for a way. Jay and John managed to make it to our target for the day, Rapid River, ahead of the RV ladies who had stopped in Escanaba for groceries and in Barb's case work phone calls. During the ride, the highlight today was a huge wolf that ran up to the edge of the road with something in it's mouth, saw us coming and darted back into the forest. That's the first in the wild wolf that I've come across. We are staying in the Whispering Valley RV park, which is an odd name as there doesn't appear to be a valley and the car and truck traffic on the nearby highway is anything but whispering. Jay and John's early arrival in Rapid River, did permit a stop at the local Dairy Flo (opened in 1954 and a step back in time) where John had a scoop of Cowmania (coffee ice cream with chocolate covered espresso chips) and Jay had a double scoop of huckleberry with strawberry rhubarb ice cream. How's that for unique flavors?
Song of the Day: Let it Roll by Little Feat
Sock of the Day: diamonds
Saturday, July 30: Today's ride was fairly long, from Rapid River, MI to Gould City, MI, which turned out to be in the middle of no where, literally. Jay and John were buzzing right along when Jay looked over to his left and there was the Michihistrigan Campground where we were RV camping for the night, 70 miles on the nose. Cath and Barb were behind us because earlier in the day they joined us for a 30 mile out and back from Cooks to Manistique, MI. With that, Jay and John checked in (at the bar) and saddled up for some bar lunch (grilled ham and cheese for John and sloppy joe for Jay along with a huge pretzel to share [no doubt, examples of the post ride hungries]. To be clear, the Michihistrigan bar is something to behold. The attitude of the place is reflected in the attached photo noting that to drink all day, "you have to start in the morning." As it was Saturday, it appeared a few of the customers had followed that motto. We also came across a young man who was riding a one wheeled, battery powered contraption that he said would do up to 55 miles per hour. He was riding it across fields running his dog; it was amazing to see him go. Jay ordered a Corona at the bar and folks looked at him like he was unpatriotic. Guess he should have ordered a Bud or PBR . . .
Song of the Day: Banana Boat Song by Harry Belafonte
Sock of the Day: bright purple swirls
Sunday, July 31: Today was a bittersweet day in many ways. Jay and John rode together for the final ride of John and Barb's part of the adventure. We rode 61 miles from Gould City, MI to St. Ignace, MI. The bitter part of the ride was that we encountered the worst combined road and traffic conditions of the trip to date due to construction and road damage that was precarious for cyclists. We had to dodge construction barrels either off the road or into traffic, which had no interest in slowing down for us. The sweet was that we got an early start and made good time, so Barb booked ferry tickets and we took our bikes to Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island and had a wonderful afternoon as a foursome easy biking the entire island, having some soft serve and visiting the Grand Hotel, which is something to behold. The ferry over to the island even took us on a brief side trip under the Mackinaw bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world (which Cath and Jay will cross tomorrow to continue the trek across Michigan). Tonight, the four of us had a fresh pesto pasta dinner and shared stories about our trip together. John and Barb head back to Duluth tomorrow to inspect property they recently bought, then drive to Indiana so John can handle some matters in the wake of his mother's passing. So all in all, a bittersweet day, as it will be hard to see them off in the morning.
Song of the Day: Waiting on the World to Change by Taj Mahal & Keb Mo'
Sock of the Day: vertical tri-striped
Monday, August 1: We arose at our normal time and met to say our farewells as John and Barb headed back east to Duluth and then on to Indiana before returning to Colorado. Cath and Jay ventured off separately, crossing over the Mackinaw bridge via I-75 to Mackinaw City for the start of today's ride, with dark clouds lurking. One might have thought that all of the practice with coordinating meet up logistics that our first day as a twosome would be foolproof, but that was not to be. With the uncertain weather -- raining at the start -- Cath met Jay at miles 6 and then again at mile 12, to be make sure he had the proper gear. That was the last that Jay saw of Cath until he arrived in Charlevoix, another 66 miles later. Jay passed the RV parked along a dune beach with Cath not to be seen (she was on the beach writing postcards, hidden by the dunes). 20 miles went by, then 30, 40, 50 with no Cath or RV to be seen. Some of this was due to Jay riding bike paths separate from the driving route. Jay also got lost in Petoskey, MI and then had to double back because a bike path was closed. He tracked Cath down by cell to learn she was now in Charlevoix, while he was now out of food. What does one do in such situations? Burger King provided the answer with a whopper and a drink, and Jay continued on to finish the 78 mile ride. Today's route included a section of road known as the tunnel of trees. It was about 15 miles long and right along the coast of Lake Michigan. Riding it on a bike in a soft rain was amazing. After finding our campsite at Fisherman's Island State Park and getting cleaned up, we ventured back into Charlevoix to see the town. We had lunch at a brewpub, with Jay ordering a grilled mac and cheese sandwich and a stout beer. After some grocery shopping, we decided to go see the new movie, "Where the crawdads sing" before heading back to the campsite for a good night's sleep.
Song of the Day: Budapest by George Ezra
Sock of the Day: just another repeat ;)
Tuesday, August 2: Finishing yesterday's ride south of Charlevoix, we happened to notice a roadside exhibit with the world's largest cherry pie, so we had to start our day there for photos (Jay happens to love cherry pie). Jay then headed off with hopes that yesterday's logistical issues were behind us. Our riding target for the day was Traverse City, MI. In route, Jay got to ride along Torch Lake and was puzzled by repeated signs -- which appeared political -- stating, "keep torch lake blue, don't fertilize." It took Jay a bit to look at the lake, realize how beautifully blue it is, and that the goal is to not have it turn green due to too much lawn fertilizer feeding into the lake. Two human interest stories. Jay met a man in Elk Rapids who was curious about Jay's reason for being there (he was also a cyclist) and then shared that the prior Saturday 5 cyclists riding for Make a Wish foundation were struck by a drunk driver, with 2 not surviving. So very sad. Both yesterday and today, Jay passed a group of 5 riders who had similar jerseys and were friendly. They happened to be camping near us at Traverse City State Park so we stopped by to introduce ourselves. They are doing a week long ride as a group, something they have been doing together for 10 years. Earlier today, Cath paid a visit to Farmer White's, a roadside fresh fruit and pie store, and scored a cherry pie, which we are about to have for tonight's dessert. Cath joined Jay for a 10 mile co-ride today, then doubling back to the RV to get her 20 miles in for the day. Tomorrow may be another interesting weather day as rain is forecast, for our journey to the Bear Dunes national park area of eastern Michigan. Now, it's time for some pie!
Song of the Day: I'll Be There by Mariah Carey & Trey Lorenz (in honor of the sag-wagon doing a great job today!)
Sock of the Day: black specialized with new shoes!
Wednesday, August 3: Rain, have we mentioned rain? How about wind? Mentioned thunderstorm type wind? Today's ride got both in abundance. The attached photos don't capture what it was really like very well. Cath was in close attendance so that the "wet fish" rider was not off the hook for very long. It was a shame too as the route took us through Sleeping Bear Dunes national lakeshore. Those who have not visited here or Lake Michigan will be surprised to find how much this lake looks like an ocean with sandy beaches and massive dunes. Part of the route was on a terrific bike trail with 11% grades (up, but why not down in my direction?). There are numerous small towns along the way, including Glen Arbor where we stopped for scones, a blueberry muffin and hot chocolate, Jay hoping the rain would abate, but no luck. We are camping at Platte River campground and took an afternoon hike to the dunes and the lake, which then enabled a massive nap by Jay. He forgot to turn his Garmin off after the hike so our hour, forty minute hike was 3 hours and forty minutes. Not surprisingly, in this environment sand is everywhere, just like at the beach. In our shoes, our socks and in the RV which drives Cath nuts. So, a 57 mile ride in the books. Tomorrow, we continue south along the Lake Michigan coast toward Ludington where the day after we will turn east, abandon the lake coast and begin our journey across the state, arriving in Cath's hometown of Clarkston this coming Sunday.
Song of the Day: Mountains in the Mist by Phish (Do you like this band? First song of theirs that I've listened to. And they are playing a concert at Pine Knob in Clarkston (my hometown) tonight! !Que casualidad!)
Sock of the Day: clean yellow at the start of the ride, less clean by the end ;)
Thursday, August 4: Living in the Colorado mountains, there's a saying that if you don't like the weather, "just wait 15 minutes and it will change." Here in Michigan, it's more like wait a day. Today couldn't be more different than yesterday. Perfect riding temps with a beautiful sunny day and a decent amount of tailwind. Jay rode from our campground at Platte River to Ludington, MI, a 77-mile ride. The route again followed the Lake Michigan coastline and unexpectedly had some very steep (10%) and long climbs to test the legs. Ludington State campground is situated in the nearby lake sand dunes, but not one we would recommend as the campsites are packed in like sardines. After a quick shower, we headed to town to find a laundromat as wet biking clothes do not age well in the confines of an RV. That done, we are writing this post at a local coffee shop as the internet out in the sand dunes is non-existent. Ludington is another of the dozen or so lake towns we have passed through since crossing the Mackinaw bridge into the Michigan lower peninsula.
Song of the Day: Home by Phillip Phillips. Cath and Jay are a long way from our son and home in Durango. Soon we will be to Cath's home in Clarkston, MI to visit her Mom who is in hospice. Then in a few weeks we'll be in Jay's home in PA to visit his Mom who is also having health challenges. Home is always where are families are.
Following laudry, Jay and Cath took a walk along the "seawall" to the Ludington Lighthouse. Back at the campground, Cath enjoyed a walk on the beach, disturbing the flock of seagulls, climbing the dunes and watching the sun set. (Friday edit: Little did she know her quads would be feeling rather sore from the dune climbs the following day.)
Sock of the Day: new bright green Swiftwicks -- best rated road bike riding sock by Cyclingnews.com!
Friday, August 5: Today was the day of the headwind, right from the get go, and Jay's legs paid for it. Fortunately, Cath came to the rescue, as always! We had a big ride planned, at least 80 miles, from Ludington, MI to somewhere near Temple, MI (which doesn't even have a population number for it on the map, so we knew there wasn't much there.) All was going well until about 50 miles when the lights went out for Jay as he was climbing up a not so steep 2 mile, 2% climb on chip seal with a head wind that finished with a 7% grade and even in the lowest gear, it was hard. Not far after topping out, Jay looks ahead and a rider is approaching him from the other direction, and who could it be but wonder woman? All Jay could say was, "I'm cooked." We had to ride 7 more miles to where Cath had parked the RV to get some fluids, a little time out of the sun and get going again. Cath continued with Jay another 10 miles before turning back to return to the RV, while Jay kept going, and going. Somehow the legs recovered to the extent that when he got to Temple and Cath had not yet caught up in the RV, he just kept going (kind of like the energizer bunny or Forest Gump). He did stop at the only store in Temple, the so called Party Shack, for a cherry coke. Tonight we are camping at Wilson State Park in Harrison, MI, which has nice facilities and is adjacent to Budd Lake. Cath took a swim (her version as it was only up to her waist) while Jay stretched and massage rolled. Tomorrow we ride past Lake George on our way to Bay City. The route includes a 34-mile bike trail so we are planning to find a way for Cath to ride much of it too.
Song of the Day: Lean on Me by Bill Withers
Sock of the Day: new Defeet socks with Astro Dog on the Moon! Cath's new favorites.
Saturday, August 6: We haven't had quality internet for a few days so we are catching up on the blog; our apologies. Today's ride included Jay's first flat tire of the trip, caused by a staple. Jay attempted the repair, but the tube he had in his saddlebag didn't hold (rookie mistake -- should have put a new one in), so he had to call in a rescue. Fortunately, Cath was only 2 miles away. Once back on the road we converged so Cath could join the ride of the Pere Marquette rail trail, which was terrific. Of the 34-mile trail, Jay persuaded Cath to continue for 22 miles (got to love those e-bike drafts, you know) before Cath turned back. Jay made it to Bay City well ahead of Cath and missed the signs for Bay City State Park so the energizer bunny just kept going, all the way through Bay City to the other side resulting in an 84 mile day. He then managed to find an A&W a block off the route and called in a final rescue. It was a good thing, as the A&W was cash only and he only had $5. After setting up at the campground, we walked over to Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron) for a swim. The lake sandbars were such that you could walk about 100 yards and still have the water just above your knees. After showers, we hiked to the nearby ice cream store (of course) before crashing. We did not choose MI Pot Hole flavor but how appropriate for some rough roads.
Song of the Day: Follow You Follow Me by Genesis
Sock of the Day: The Rooster crows today
Sunday, August 7: Today's ride marked 35 consecutive days of riding for Jay, going from Bay City to the little town of Otter Lake. Yesterday's longer ride shortened today's and it was a good thing, as there were solid head winds and it was very humid and hot. As we finished riding it was 89 degrees. The ride had two sections of rail trails. On the first, another cyclist caught up with Jay introduced himself and rode with Jay for a few miles before Jay had to turn off. It was pleasant company as the rider was both a bike and ski mechanic, so there was lot's to chat about. Today's route took us through the town of Frankenmuth, which is a Bavarian theme town, as the accompanying pictures attest. Definitely worth a visit if one happens to be in this area. With the high temps and humidity, Jay was happy to wind up a relatively short 3-hour ride, change and begin the drive to Clarkston, Cath's home town. One might think this is the end of the story for this day but . . . the weather had other ideas. After paying an initial visit to see Cath's mom, brother Pete and sister Ellen, we headed to Pontiac Lake State Park and encountered a violent thunderstorm that dumped buckets of water on us (and a sizable tree branch on top of the RV). It also knocked out power to a large area, including the campground so we had no outside power for the night. Despite this we did manage to do a Zoom call with our son Keiran back in Durango to catch up. This is the longest the 3 of us have been separated (not that he can't do just fine without us).
Song of the Day: Tomorrow's Going to be a Brighter Day by Jim Croce.
Sock of the Day: repeat purple swirls
Monday, August 8: Today was a scheduled rest day to maximize Cath's time with her family, particularly her Mom Irene who is in hospice. Irene is frail but looks serene and peaceful as the end of life approaches. Cath sung church songs and showed her pictures. Cath also spent time with her sister Cecilia who is recovering from a fall that injured her back. We spent the day running various errands and had dinner with Cath's sister Anne who also in town helping with their Mom. Jay intended to do a short, fun bike ride on the trails at the campground but the prior night's storm made that unrealistic, so Jay really did take a day off from biking. We also visited the Clarkston bike shop with the intention of getting a replacement chain for Jay's road bike and ended up with that and a new cassette, so the bike is set for the rest of the trip -- 18 riding days remaining. With the uncertainty of the power situation, we made the call to park the RV at Cath's Mom's house (they did have power) with plans to get on the road again, bright and early. The visit was understandably emotional and tiring for Cath, who will clearly need some good naps.
Song of the Day: Say Hey (I Love You) by Michael Franti & Spearhead
Sock of the Day:
Tuesday, August 9: We drove from Clarkston back to Otter Lake to begin today's ride. What a change two days brings, starting the day 25 degrees cooler than when we ended Sunday. It was quite welcome. In less than 3 hours, a 50-mile ride to Avoca, MI was completed, where we are now sitting at a picnic table at the beginning of the next rail trail that we will ride tomorrow, when we also cross into Canada -- Ontario to be specific -- via ferry for several days of riding north of Lake Erie. As Jay rode his first few miles of today's route, his body shouted, "What the heck are you doing? Are we doing this again?" His brain responded, "Yes, pipe down and pedal." Today was also another milestone, as 3,000 miles was passed mid-ride. Our guess is that we're about 2/3s done with the trip, and with that we've started mapping out plans for our return trip. More of that to come. Cath's sister Alicia and her daughter Kathleen shared a video of mom batting a balloon back and forth with Alicia for quite a long volley. What a joy-filled moment they shared together and what a surprise to see mom playing. I heard she laughed when a balloon popped.
Song of the Day: Back in the Saddle Again by Gene Autry.
Sock of the Day: Astro dog is on the job again
Wednesday, August 10: Today we departed Ruby Campground to return to the Wadhams to Avoca trail head where Jay finished yesterday's ride. Today Cath joined him for the 12.5 mile rail trail which began as packed fine gravel and finished with asphalt, shaded by trees more often than not creating a cool temperature for riding. Cath turned around at the end of the trail and high-tailed it back in turbo-mode reaching the start 15 minutes faster than the ride out while Jay continued on to Marine City. Jay beat Cath there so he went ahead to Algonac where we rendezvoused and caught the Walpole Island Ferry across the St. Clair River to Ontario, Canada. The ferry is small and only one other vehicle crossed with us but no lines, no traffic and no hassle! And for only a $17 fare that beats the mess at the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron any day. A few days ago we had completed our travel info on the "arriveCAN" app for a speedy process at customs and we were on our way. Oh, but we had to figure out where we were and where we were going since this was not our planned debarkation since the ferry at Marine City is no longer operational. Thank goodness for Google, Mercedes in dash navigation, Adventure Cycling maps and for Jay's Garmin bike computer. Using all of our tools, we found our way back to the route and finished the day in Wallaceburg, ON. We are camping at the Shiloh Campground & Marina, although the marina part is not apparent, other than the boat house as shown in the accompanying pictures, where Jay did his best Tarzan imitation off the dock into the nearby Johnston River Channel. We have 3 full days of riding in Ontario before we re-enter the US at Niagara Falls.
Song of the Day: Oh Canada National Anthem
Sock of the Day: short tri-striped
Thursday, August 11: Wallaceburg, ON to Port Stanley, ON. Our first full day of riding in Ontario travelling to Port Stanley located on the northeast coast of Lake Erie, called for an 80-mile plus day. The Canadian drivers, cars and truckers alike have proven to be quite courteous as they give plenty of room when passing Jay on the side of the road. However, the roads have no shoulder (at least for this first day), so it’s a good thing that the drivers provide this courtesy. We broke the ride into three segments with Cath linking up with Jay at around 27 and 57 miles before meeting in Port Stanley. Because we were consistently headed east, there was a persistent gusty wind from the north, Jay had to be careful because the stronger gusts would push him right off the road. This meant his normal practice of eating while riding wasn’t possible, so he actually stopped to eat once or twice (who would have thought?). Cath got yelled at by a shop owner for parking on the edge of her parking lot, accusing her of having been there at 6 a.m. (which of course wasn’t true as we were still asleep in the RV back in Wallaceburg 55 miles away). After arriving in Port Stanley and cleaning up, we took a walk through town and found a pizza restaurant with outdoor seating and sat down to pizza, salad and a Guinness for Jay. We then walked out to the beach and the seawall with its typical lighthouse. We then drove to St. Thomas to overnight at Dalewood Conservation Reserve (which is what Canadians call a campground). It was quite nice with decent spacing between campsites. We had nice cool weather and both slept like babies.
Song of the Day:
Sock of the Day:
Friday, August 12: Port Stanley, ON to Port Dover, ON. Campground in Reyerse, ON/Simcoe, ON which is on the bike route west of Port Dover. Today’s ride began with a pleasant surprise, a true, smooth paved bike lane for the first 15 or so miles. After riding close to cars all day yesterday, having more space was most welcome. Today, the wind was mostly against Jay as he rode, but it was less gusty. The route passed much closer to the coast of Lake Erie so we passed through numerous port towns, one after another as we made our way east toward Port Dover. This is the beginning of Canadian wine country so wine tasting venues started to appear. Cath stopped at Burning Kiln winery and bought a bottle. About 2/3s of the way into the ride, Jay saw another rider about ½ mile in front of him and with some effort managed to catch up to him. Coming along side, hoping to have a mate for a few miles, Jay said hello, got hello back but then nothing else. With that Jay pushed along at his faster pace, only to have the other cycle ride in his draft for the next 15 miles. He did say thanks when we turned different directions. So much for company. Today, Jay saw his first Canadian deer in 2 and ½ days of riding. Up to that point, no living or roadkill deer to be seen. Either the Canadian deer are very smart when it comes to cars, or there just aren’t many of them in this part of Ontario. Completing our ride in Port Dover, we cleaned up and hunted down a nice lunch and then decided to do a wine tasting, visiting the Frisky Beaver (no joke) winery, eventually adding a second lunch (early dinner) of fish and chips at the food cart that was part of the operation. The wine was only ok but the fish and chips were terrific. We are camping at the Norfolk Conservation Reserve which we had passed earlier in the day as we travelled to Port Dover. In strolling around the campground, we came across two bike packers that Jay and Cath had passed the day before near McKay’s Corner. They also are riding the northern tier route but are headed to Massachusetts instead of Maine. We traded stories and it was nice to get to know them. As nice as yesterday’s Dalewood campground was, today’s is quite the opposite. We will be happy to move on tomorrow for our last full day of riding in Ontario.
Song of the Day:
Sock of the Day:
Saturday, August 13: Port Dover to Fort Erie, ON Today’s ride from Port Dover to Fort Erie was all about the Lake Erie coast, as we hugged it for pretty much the entire trip, some 84 miles. Lots of little coastal towns and hundreds of little cottages, most of them on 1/10th acre lots, smooshed together, and then the occasional new “mcmansion” usually taking up two lots. We passed the bike packing couple from yesterday as we were driving to our starting point. They then caught up as we were getting ready and Jay had a chance to ride with them briefly to say farewell and safe riding. Their goal was to make it to Ft. Erie today as well; we don’t know if they did, as it was a non-helping wind today so the riding was not fast. For those who may think they have lots of Canada geese in their locale, we can confirm that there is a reason they are named Canada geese, as we passed thousands. And, they are just as ornery as their cousins back in the States. The last 15 miles of today’s ride was on a really nice bike trail, so Cath drove ahead and then rode back towards Jay to finish the ride together. We then proceeded by bike further into Fort Erie to explore it a bit, including looking for a late lunch restaurant. We lucked out with a terrific Italian restaurant that had a back patio facing on the Niagara River, looking at the Peace Bridge that links Canada and the U.S., and in the distance, Buffalo, NY, where Jay was born some 65 years ago. The river current here is quite brisk as Niagara Falls draws the water from Lake Erie and loud and powerful speed boats were seen fighting the river back towards the lake. We tried to find a bike shop to look for some Canada flag socks for Jay, but no luck. After our late lunch, we had to drive back to Wainsfleet, which we had already passed on our riding route, to get to the Long Beach Conservation Reserve and our campsite for the night. Tomorrow we ride about half the day in Canada, crossing back into the U.S. at the Rainbow International Bridge at Niagara Falls [Note: this turns out to be incorrect -- see next day's post] and riding in New York to Gasport. While in Canada we achieved another riding milestone, passing 100,000 vertical feet for the trip. Today was also our 50th riding day of the trip; only 13 more riding days to go! Hard to believe how fast it has all gone by!!!
Song of the Day: Song to the Sun by the Wheeland Brothers
Sock of the Day:
Sunday, August 14: To start today's ride we had to get back to Port Erie from Wainsfleet and unfortunately due to our our misspelling of Vaticano (the restaurant we ate at yesterday), navigation took us out of our way and set our departure back almost an hour (eye roll). But there is nothing like getting on the bike to start the day and letting all that other stuff go. Jay and Cath set out on the Niagara Recreation Trail to ride from Port Erie to Niagara Falls and snap a few photos at the horseshoe and American falls, get misted and send Jay on his way to find the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge (note not the Rainbow Bridge as noted yesterday -- we had that wrong) to the US. Cath returned to Port Erie to collect the RV and drive to the same bridge crossing where the wait was about a half hour and surprisingly there was no toll. For Jay, the trip across the bridge by bike was interesting as there is no bike lane. He was advised to ride in the truck lane as there are few trucks on a Sunday and then to go through Customs he just waited in a line of cars. Upon reaching Lockport, NY, Jay began riding the Erie Canal towpath which is largely unpaved. He quickly noticed walkers with numbers who looked really tired. Stopping at what turned out to be an aid station, he learned that it was a 100-mile walk (race?) and they were down to the last few hours. 60 miles on a bike seemed a breeze in comparison. Cath never saw Jay for the rest of his ride until they met at the Niagara Hartland RV Resort which has a flock of wild turkeys as well as a hen house with lots of chickens and a loud rooster. We won't need an alarm tomorrow. For riding tomorrow, we return to the Erie Canal towpath for about 80 miles -- yea, no cars! Jay will bring out his gravel bike and Cath will ride a big chunk too!
Song of the Day: Centerfield by John Fogerty
Sock of the Day: Swiftwick dots again . .
Monday, August 15: Today was a day where expectations didn't align with implementation. We had grand plans to have Cath ride a big chunk of the Erie Canal towpath with Jay. However, as we got on our bikes in Gasport, Cath looked down to see that her e-bike was only showing 2 bars out of 10. Oops, forgot to recharge the bike last night after yesterday's ride! So, Cath set out with Jay human powered for the first 8 miles, into a headwind no less, then turned back to collect the RV and catch Jay somewhere along the canal. This was a very different ride as most of the canal towpath is dirt/gravel, although sections around Rochester are paved. Jay was also riding his gravel bike, rather than his normal road bike, which has beefier tires, perfect for the gravel conditions, but a bit slower. As a result, this was the longest ride of the trip to date, slightly over 6 hours. Jay also decided to add an out and back between Macedon and Palmyra to complete the gravel sections so we could start back on the paved roads tomorrow. This led to a total ride just under 91 miles -- a big day. Of course, such a day wouldn't be complete without ice cream and pie. At a stop in Pittsford, it just so happened that Pittsford Farms Dairy was about a hundred feet from where Cath had parked the RV, so a visit was in order. Jay had a cup of "kalua something" ice cream and we scored another cherry pie. More later on how that fares. Jay will say the cherry pie was delicious but Cath's ever the critic says it is no match for Farmer White's cherry pie. Farmer White wins the blue ribbon, no contest in Cath's book!
Song of the Day: Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal by Pete Seeger or the complete song by Brice Springsteen
Sock of the Day: black Specialized
Tuesday, August 16: After a few weeks of mostly flat terrain, upstate New York welcomed us to rolling hills for today's ride. Beautiful countryside along the coast of Lake Ontario -- the final great lake of our trip -- with miles and miles of apple orchards, all of which look like they are nearing harvest time. It was tempting to stop and pick one off a tree. We rolled into our destination for the day -- Fair Haven, NY -- right around lunch time so we stopped at the Hardware Cafe in town and ate at a table on the sidewalk so Jay didn't stink up the place. Fare included a blueberry milkshake for Jay (of course). We then moved out to Fair Haven Beach State Park, our campsite for the night so that Jay could shower, then headed for another wine tasting. We lucked out with this choice, visiting the Colloca Estate Winery, which is beautiful. We tried some of their local wines along with wines from their sister winery in Australia. On our way back to our campsite, we stopped at the State Park beach for a walk out on the sea wall with a threatening thunderstorm on the horizon. Not the smartest decision, but we made it back to the RV before it arrived. Tomorrow, we continue our journey through the New York finger lakes region, with only 10 riding days to go till Bar Harbor, Maine.
Song of the Day: Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Sock of the Day: Purple Swiftwicks bought in Fargo, ND
Wednesday, August 17: Our son Keiran's birthday!!! Happy 24th!!!!! How have the years gone by so quickly? We also wish our friends Mary Palino and Gaige Sippy all the best as they take their son Ivan off to college today. A bittersweet time for a family when the youngest goes off to college.
Today as Cath went to unhook the power cord she found a little friend resting on the plug and could not resist a photo for a little variety in today's images. Everyday usually starts with a good look at the Adventure Cycling map to see where we're going and choosing a rendezvous location. The back country routes were pretty smooth today for the RV and though there are fewer services Cath did find a small grocery store to restock a few items and fill up on diesel but struck out at the self-car wash in Pulaski, NY because the bays were not tall enough. Cath proceeded to the campsite in Osceola to set-up before the rain and wait for Jay to climb the steep hills to get there. We have spent a few nights in campgrounds that look very much like the adjacent cartoon but tonight we may be the only site with inhabitants although most of the campers here are year-rounders, coming in winter too to snowmobile. Jay's 74 mile ride today had plenty of climbing. When Jay arrived in Osceola he called to find out where the campground is. Cath asked if he was tired and noted the route to the campground had some steep climbs. Jay thought, well I've been climbing all day, I should be fine. Cath was right on target as the climbs out of town got steeper and steeper, concluding with a 15% monster just before the camp- ground. So much for a cool down at the end of the day. Tomorrow's profile to Old Forge, NY calls for more of the same.
Song of the Day: Angels Among Us by Alabama We picked this song in support of our friends Fran and Mary Alice Cannon. They have been fighting for nearly 90 days in support of their daughter Mary Clare who is facing life threatening health issues. For those of you reading this blog, please include Mary Clare on your prayer list. Fran and Mary Alice attended an Alabama concert a few nights ago, and when they heard this song, it brought tears as they thought about the struggle they have been through with the efforts to save Mary Clare's life:
When life held troubled times and had me down on my knees
There's always been someone to come along and comfort me
A kind word from a stranger to lend a helping hand
A phone call from a friend just to say I understand
But ain't it kind of funny at the dark end of the road
That someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope
Sock of the Day: Pearl Izumi standards.
Thursday, August 18: Whom amongst our many readers (or should we say our "few readers") knows what ADK stands for? We started noticing it along our route today, but Jay wasn't quick enough figure it out, though Cath did. In a call back home this afternoon with our friend and neighbor, Mimi, who hails from nearby Tupper Lake, she laughed too, and said, of course, it's Adirondack. And to top it, her wonderful dog, Addie, pictured nearby, got her name from this locale. {This is what you call a human/dog interest story to spice things up}. Today's ride called for more climbing for Jay with a bit of a tailwind, so he had a smile on his face. Cath planned to join him for an out and back toward the end of the ride between Old Forge, where we would be camping, and Inlet, which was the target for the end of the ride. Cath, being the excellent map reader she is, stopped well short of Inlet and was then frustrated when Jay came along too soon to cut her ride short. After Cath's stomping and fussing for a bit, Jay talked her into riding along to Inlet and doing the out and back together anyway. Inlet turned out to be really cute and had the inspiring saying posted near the lake, so the extra trip was worthwhile as Cath got her mojo back. Good thing, because, as school is starting up, so is her tutoring business and she needs to be kind to those kids.
Tomorrow is our last full day in New York state before we cross into NH (actually, correction, Vermont is next!).
As we prepare to post tonight's edition, we'd like to say happy anniversary to Jay's sister and brother-in-law Matt, who celebrated their 4th wedding anniversary today. Hard to believe it's 4 years already. Enjoy the evening in the Poconos you two!!!
Lastly, for you cycling fans out there, tomorrow is the first day of the Vuelta, the Spanish grand tour, the last big stage race of the season in Europe. Durango's own Sepp Kuss (pictured here with his mom Sabina) is racing as part of the Jumbo Visma team. Cheer him on!!!!!
Song of the Day: What is Life by George Harrison
Sock of the Day: bright yellow Swiftwicks.
Friday, August 19: Tomorrow will be the 2 month anniversary of our departure on the RAM trip and we will only have 7 days of riding left to get to Bar Harbor. Hard to believe how fast it has gone by. Today's route took us 74 miles from Inlet to North Hudson, NY. Lots of Adirondack mountain climbing along the way including the mile long Blue Mountain climb that had pitches of 12%. We are back into logging country so a few of the trucks were a little worrisome particularly they are going 60 down hill and Jay is flying along at 40 mph himself. The mountains here are heavily forested and we even noticed a few aspen when we were at 2,000 feet of elevation. A few of the leaves are already starting to show some color of the coming Fall. We are staying at the New York State Frontier Town and Equestrian Center which appears to be quite new and very well done. After showers and catching the end of the Vuelta team time trial, we rode out bikes out of the campground to the nearby Paradox Brewery, which also appears quite new and was pretty busy. Decent food and good beer; what more could you ask for? Cath has another tutoring session on line tonight so Jay is on his own. Tomorrow, a few more miles in NY and then into Vermont.
Congrats to Sepp and his team Jumbo Visma in winning today's team time trial,
Song of the Day: New York New York by Frank Sinatra.
Sock of the Day: Specialized.
Saturday, August 20: Our journey today took us from New York into Vermont with Middlebury our main target although we would be riding to Ripton and our campsite in the Moosalamoo Forest. Today's trip included another ferry ride for us and the RV, this time across lake Champlain the border between NY and Vermont. From a cycling perspective this was another day of climbing for Jay and Cath suggested that he extend it by going further to include another climb. Actually, it turned out that Ripton was in the middle of that climb, with a few 15% sections to end the day, so Cath got her wish. After finishing the ride, we doubled back to Middlebury to explore, finding a bike store for another pair of socks (see photo tomorrow), lunch at a local coffee shop where we met several nice folks, and an hour in the local book store where Jay picked up a new book. We also found the cool deer sculpture that Cath is pictured with. Note, no ice cream or pie! After driving back up into the mountains and setting up camp, we received a kind visit from the camp host, Samual Plyler McManus, who was absolutely terrific. He and his wife have been volunteer hosts at this location for several years, and live full time on a houseboat on the Tennessee river. He is retired from the Army Corps of Engineers and we hope he finds our picture on this website. Thanks for making our stop in your campground so enjoyable.
Song of the Day: breaking the song pattern today to honor a poet: 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening' - Robert Frost (Powerful Life Poetry)
Sock of the Day: triple stripe repeat
Sunday, August 21: Our stay in Vermont, was brief as today's ride led us out of the Green Mountain state into the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the Live Free or Die state, finishing in Orford, NH, which is right across the Connecticut River from Vermont. The ride began immediately with the climb started yesterday to Ripton and continued over Middlebury Gap, about an 8-mile ride with some steep pitches. Later in the day, a second climb had pitches of 17%, the steepest of the trip to date. The route over the Gap passed by Snow Bowl, Middlebury College's own ski mountain (as we understand it, the only college in the country with its own ski mountain, and a ski heritage to go with it). We overnighted at an RV campground called Pastures RV, which really wasn't a pasture, but had a great laundry, Jay's post ride task for the day.
Cath was able to take a ride out along River Rd following the Connecticut River and and along the way she encountered a good bike tip for all you cyclists out there. Note the incorrect and heed the correct tip on your next ride! :) Later, while Cath did a tutoring session online, Jay set off on the bike looking for, you guessed it, ice cream and found some terrific coffee soft serve back on the Vermont side of the river. Tomorrow is a special day as get to visit a good friend and neighbor of ours from back home.
Song of the Day: Unconditional I by Arcade Fire
Sock of the Day: Frog Hollow Bike shop socks
Monday, August 22: From the green mountains to the white mountains, from Orford, NH to Conway, NH. For biking, today would bring the last big climbing day of the trip as we passed through the ski mountain region of New Hampshire, concluding with a 9-mile climb from Lincoln, NH and nearby Loon Mountain Ski Resort to the top of Kancamagus Pass. Cath drove ahead to the top of the pass and rode down to meet Jay as he began the climb and they rode to the top together. Not necessarily a super steep climb -- 8% at the most -- but persistent. The reward was a long descent down the other side on our route to Conway. The ride down passed more hiking trails and waterfalls than we could count -- certainly an outdoor enthusiast's dreamland. After our arrival in Conway, the biggest treat of the day was our visit and overnight with our neighbor and friend, Mary Sue Burnham. Mary Sue's husband, Charlie passed away earlier this year. Charlie holds a special place in our hearts as he adopted our son Keiran as friend and mentor when we moved to Durango. To have this time with Mary Sue was special, as was the terrific meal she prepared for us -- thank you so very much! We also got to sleep in real beds for the first time in 63 days -- rather than the RV -- a special pleasure. Mary Sue will return to Durango before us, so see you out west in a few weeks. It has been raining since late afternoon, so we will see what tomorrow brings us weather wise, as we continue the trek into the final state on our route, Maine.
Song of the Day: Anticipation by Carly Simon (knowing that we are now in the final days of the journey)
Sock of the Day: bright diamonds repeat
Tuesday, August 23: Before heading out today, we were greeted with a picturesque morning at Pea Porridge Pond so we sat out on the deck with Mary Sue and soaked it in. The weather had cooperated so it wasn't raining. After saying our fond farewells to Mary Sue, we set out on today's trek, first to Naples, Maine, where we would rendezvous with Will and Amy Plaster for lunch. Naples is a 42 mile ride from Conway so we arrived around 11:30 a.m., enjoyed a sandwich sitting on a bench overlooking Long Lake. Then Will joined Jay for the remainder of today's ride to Shaker Village, near Poland, ME where we would be camping that night. It was terrific to have company while riding again, so Jay and Will caught up as they rode, while Cath and Amy drove ahead to today's end point. After showers, we headed to the nearby NU Brewery for beers, tacos and more catch-up talk. Remarkably, all of the ice cream joints were already closed, so a quick stop at a convenience store yielded a pint of Ben & Jerry's. Hopefully, we will be able to join Will & Amy for a boat riding this coming Sunday. [Editor's note: Co-editor Catherine is in a bit of a funk because she accidently deleted a lovely photo of the two of us with Amy & Will toasting our beers that was intended for today's post but is now lost. So if she looks grumpy in future photos, you now know why.]
3 days to go and the cross country adventure comes to a close.
Other cycling news: Sepp's teammate Primoz Roglic won today's 4th stage of the Vuelta, taking over the GC overall lead as a result. Sepp is 2nd place in the GC, just 13 seconds behind and looks good. A long way to go but a great start for Sepp and Jumbo Visma.
Song of the Day: Grumpy as seen on Nick Jr TV [See Editors note above for explanation of why this song was selected.]
Sock of the Day: Swiftwicks blue stripe.
Wednesday, August 24: Someone suggested when we got to Maine, things would be less hilly than Vermont and the Adirondacks of New York. Well, maybe in the sense of no extended long climbs, but roller after roller after roller adds up to some decent vertical over a 70-mile day and wears out the legs. So says Jay. We travelled in the RV from our campground in Poland, ME back to Shaker Village to pick-up where yesterday's ride had concluded with a target of Waldoboro (camping in Damariscotta, ME) to take some mileage out of the following day. Today was overcast with the threat of rain with us the entire day, and finally fulfilled in the last hour with a cooling Maine mist. Jay passed two bike packers that we later met in Waldoboro, who also had started their ride from Anacortes, WA and planned to finish in Bar Harbor the same day as us. We are camping at Lake Pemaquid, a campground with nearly 800 campsites and nearly as many screaming/yelling kids (not intended as a complaint). They offered fresh lobster in the campground store/grill, but we passed hoping to partake tomorrow in Camden. Cath had a tutoring session followed by a training session for her new math AP course adventure, but managed to squeeze in a bike ride between the two (see her route in the adjacent graphic). 58 bike rides down, 2 to go. Will they make it?
Song of the Day: Rock Lobster by the B-52s [Jay actually finds this song very annoying, but when in Maine do as the lobsters do . . . ]
Sock of the Day: Green Roosters
Thursday, August 25: Our next to last day of the trip turned out to have mixed blessings. Our trip from Waldoboro to Belfast included a decision to ride longer today so that we would have a shorter ride on the final day (this turned out to be a wise decision as you will see in tomorrow's post). Our route took us through Camden, Maine, which we had visited when Keiran was young on an earlier trip up the coast of Maine. Our ride took us to Belfast, so we had to drive back about 20 miles to our campsite at Camden State Park. First we drove into Camden proper and went looking for lunch in the harbor. If you are looking for the quintessential Maine harbor town, Camden has to be on your list, as the attached photo's demonstrate. As we finished lunch, the skies let loose, so we ordered dessert, a hot fudge sundae with coffee ice cream to wait out the down pour. Upon arriving at the State Park, we were advised to drive up Mt. Battie road which overlooks Camden. Spectacular isn't good enough to describe the views from the top, overlooking Camden and the Atlantic. We met another couple up on top who are undertaking a cross country drive from Florida including travelling across Canada. He was a former pro cyclist so he had lots of stories.
This post began with a reference to mixed blessings. On the positive side, today is the one-year anniversary of Jay's hip replacement surgery. What a blessing it has been for him, as his ability to ride without pain every day has attested. Thanks Dr. Phipps and his team for making that possible!
On the sadder side, we learned this evening that Cath's mom Irene passed. While we are comforted to know she is at peace and again with Vince, it was still sad to learn the news and know she was gone. Our thanks go to the many who have reached out to share their sympathies -- thank you so very much.
We approached this trip knowing that loss of parents might occur, as it did for John earlier and now Cath. With that, we are working to adjust our trip plans to travel back to Michigan for the funeral next week and then travel back to Maine to follow through on visits to Jay's family in Pennsylvania, to Washington, DC to see family and friends and so forth. We'll keep you posted (no pun intended).
Song of the Day: Mother of Christ
Sock of the Day: Mint yellow edition.
Friday, August 26: Sometimes things don't go as one expects. That was the case today. We had hoped for a bright sunny day, no head wind and great roads with beautiful scenery on our final trip to Bar Harbor, Maine, but no such luck. After driving from Camden to Belfast for our starting point for the day's 60 mile ride, Jay began the day in a downpour. This allowed him to try out the new REI rain jacket he acquired while in route, after learning his lesson way back in Whitefish, Montana (it worked great; thanks for the tip John W.). It pretty much rained all day, Route 1 has a nice shoulder but inch to half inch cracks (think of ca-chunk all day long as the bike tires hit each one), lots of cars and very cloudy so we couldn't see much. Oh well, the best laid plans! Despite all that the final ride was fun, and the sun poked its head out with about 6 miles to go. Cath found a parking spot and rode her bike to the final rendezvous at the harbor and we did the traditional final photo, dipping the bike tire in the Atlantic, some 4,215 miles and 146,252 vertical feet of biking from where we dipped our tires in the Pacific. 68 days from our departure from Durango, we are now in Bar Harbor. After some quick clean-up, we wandered Bar Harbor looking for lobster (not hard to find here) and Jay ordered the lobster feast which included chowder, clams, mussels, fresh cooked lobster and, of course, blueberry pie. Definitely the appropriate post adventure meal of a lifetime.
Thanks for all of the words of encouragement and support; we hope you enjoyed riding along with us.
Of course, once we get back to Maine from the funeral, we have another adventure, our trip back across the U.S. which will include stops in PA to visit Jay's family, DC to visit family and friends, etc. We hope to ride the C&O canal from Georgetown to Cumberland, MD (yes, all 180 miles), so we ain't done riding yet!
Song of the Day: Rain Drops Keep Fallin on My Head by B.J. Thomas
Sock of the Day: bright green Swiftwicks (in order to be seen)
Saturday, August 27: Addendum: Today we plan to top off our visit to Bar Harbor, ME by enjoying a sunny morning riding the carriage paths in Acadia National Park,
Song of the Day: We May Never Pass This Way Again by Seals & Crofts