Sierra Leone update

Hello everyone, Another 92 degree day in Makeni, 8 degerees north of the equator. We had an interesting walk through town last night. I was looking for a pair of croc’s to wear home allowing me to leave my sneakers and boots in Maboleh Village. Couldn’t find any but did see dried bats and monkey meat for sale. Only 20,000 leones for a monkey quarter (just like a chicken quarter only bigger). That would be less than $5. It was as dark as charcoal and looked positively unappetizing. The dried bats, same price for a handful made me gag. I also purchased inner tubes for our pastors bicycle, 20,000 for two. 4300 leones = $1. I will also be buying some tires, 11,000 leones each. Good price. Today in the village we finalized some building plans for the holy, holy, holy latrine (3 holer, duh). Local workers will be getting the granite for the founation and will also be bringing sand from the river and cutting bush sticks for shoring up the foundation. This will save us a lot of money, since we don’t have to buy it at the local store. We also purchased school supplies in Makeni. The village primary school, grades 1-6 has 227 children with no supplies. For $69 we purchasd 105 theme books, 6 boxes of chalk, and 20 personal size slates for the children in grades 1-3. Yes, they still use slate boards, and do a lot of rote learning. We bought lunch for all the children, 227 and the 6 teacheres and principle. Total cost $7. There is a group here from Minnesota and we have joined with their leaders for dinner tonight. They are going great work in a neighboring village, building a clinic, (approved by the gov’t) and providing solar power. Now they will be able to keep medicines that need refrigeration (insulin) and are authorized to give innoculations. we were able to purchase a bed net for every family to prevent mosquito bites during the night. Thank all of you at CrossPoint church for your donations. The villlagers greatly appreciated them. Most homes now have more than one. This is very important for the villagers. I gave a demonstration on how to use the grinder we brought here. We made peanut butter, which they had never eaten before. There eyes were as wide as saucers at the first nibble. They absolutely loved it. I showed them how to dissasemble, clean and reassemble it. They will be grinding corn, rice, coffee and ground nuts (look like our Spanish peanuts). Hopefully they will be starting a business and make money grinding grains. I suggested they make Corn bread from the flour we made from grining corn. They really like that idea. They also thought it was good they we eat corn bread in the USA. A little boy, about 8 yrs old came to us with a small Greyish Eagle Owl, that was soon to fledge. It must have fallen from the nest. He carried around all day, and I am sure it won’t make it throught the night. Several children also carried around small rats as pets. At least I think it was more than one. One was blind and just clung to their clothing. Yech. We will be heading home on Thursday. I guess to cool weather. what a contrast.

I will add pictures when I return to tnternet here is slow.

The ride is over the journey continues

Ken entering Sunset Beach, NH Augus 10, 2009

It’s been too long since my last update, so here it is.

What a wonderful experience riding across the USA and Canada this summer.  The people we met were so gracious and in awe of our adventure.  I met some great people and am still in touch with several of them.  Road biking is occurring less due to weather and shortened daylight.  But I am now continuing my joy of cycling with mountain biking.  This year I will be attempting a new adventure, night time mountain biking with lights!  Sounds like fun.

I want to thank everyone for the donations.  I reached the 40% mark of my goal, and am still in the process of raising funds for the Nothing but Nets campaign.  If you still haven’t donated, please click on the NBN site on the right hand side of the blog.  It will go directly to my team page where you can make a donation with a credit card.

The journey continues with addressing the issue of malaria.  I will be working with United Methodist Communications on a program called “Imagine no Malaria”.  The goal is to eliminate malaria in the world.  This is a very doable program.  We did it in the United States and with new procedures and technologies it can be done throughout the world.

I want to continue to educate and inform people on malaria and the effects it has on the people, especially refugees in Africa.  I would also like to tell people about the cycling adventure I had and how important it is to live your dreams.  The lofty mountains that are in your mind can be climbed in reality and not just in the drifting thoughts that pass your consciousness like billowy summer clouds. Please contact me if you are interested in hearing my story of how I am able to do those things I enjoy and am able to accomplish through faith in God, passing through the threshold of open doors, and attempting to discern His plan for my life.

Stay tuned as I present more information the eradication of malaria.

The Final Leg – Day 50

Cyclists celebrate the end of the 3,629 mile ride at Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The ride of a lifetime is over.  I must admit that it was not without emotion.  The Portsmouth police escorted our peloton the three remaining miles from Rye Middle Schoolto the Wallis Sands Beach State Park.  As Route 1A North turned north we got our frist glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean.  The cool breeze and hazy sunshine gave us a friendly welcome.  My misty eyes were not caused by the wind, but an exhiliration and overwhelming sense of accomplishment.  I had actaully ridden over 3600 miles, 50 days, from the Pacific to the Atlantic.  Tom, Ted and I celebrated with the traditional wheel dipping to close the episode.

Tom, Ken and Ted celebrating the end of their cycling adventure

The ride from Manchester was not an Champs Elysses day like the Tour de France.  We had a lot of climbs as we headed out of Manchester.  As we traveled along a beautiful lake just west of Manchester we had to slow down to cross a flooded road.  The wetlands area that feeds the lake was overflowing due to torrential rains that drenched the area during the night.  This was going to be a short day and we had lots of time until we all gathered at the school for the final parade.

But, a short day did not mean we couldn’t go all out.  About 10 miles into the ride we came together with those Tuscon boys again.  By now you probably know what happened.  Larry was out in front about 100 yards and riding strong.  I came up on Steve and asked “are you ready?”  His positive reply sent me sprinting to bridge with Larry.  Ted and Tom joined the fray and in seconds were were whizzing along at 28 mph.  Larry was caught and the rest is history.  We hammered our way to the first rest stop, took a quick break, and once again challenged our tensed, tired legs to hurl the metallic anc carbon fiber steeds down the road to Portsmouth.

We soon entered the town of Exeter where a coffee shop and bakery lured us in with the smell of the freshly brewed elixir.  Once inside the homey aroma of cinnamon and warm rolls beckoned us to linger even longer.  We consumed the caffeine in all the forms it was presented; hot, iced, black, with cream, lattes and frappes.  As we sat in the cool shade of the umbrellaed patio, the laughter and frivolity of many bikers filled the air. Relaxed and relieved, with the knowledge of a completed challenge made us almost giddy with delight.  It was a pure joy to celebrate with all the new friends we had met.

Relaxing with coffee and goodies at an Exeter bakery

At Rye school we posed for one more group picture before cycling to the beach.

We did get the rare opportunity to see a Fisher Cat scurrying across the road on yesterday’s ride.  Although I did not get to see the numbers of wildlife I expected we did get to some some unusual and uncommon species.  The beauty of this country was startling due to great variety of landscapes.  Between the two oceans is a vast wonderland of people, mountains, prairies and rivers.  The people were inquisitive and friendly.  What is most amazing to me was the vast, unfathomable acres of crops, mostly corn that covered the center of our country.  I certainly hope we use our fertile land to optimize the fruitfulness that it is capable of producing.  God gave us dominion over this earth.  May we use it to the benefit of all the people on this earth.

The Ride Across America team on the final day

The ride is over but th e challenge to protect all the families in Sierra Leone with bed nets continues.  The cyclists contributed $200 towards the Nothing but Nets campaign and more has been pledged.

I appreciate you reviewing the blog and hope you also periodically visit the Nothingbutnets.net web site.

I will be working with a commission to work on stopping the spread of malaria in the near future.  I am looking forward to the challenge of the task and the opportunity to meet with a team that has a surmountable obstacle to climb.

Thank you for your contributions and pass the word on to your friends to help stop of spread of this deadly disease.  Insecticide treated bednets are 90% effective in preventing insect bites.  The presence of the nets also protects people without nets because of the insectide that is present.

My team name is Spokes 4 Nets.  I urge you to help savea a life buy buying a net.  WWW.nothingbutnets.net.

I will be continuing this blog with stories about my mission travels and updates on the prevention of Malaria.  I hope you will continue to be a part of this adventure with me.

Until then.

Ken Mengel

Mountains everywhere

Ken, Ted and Tom enter Vermont

Yesterday and today we went from New York to Vermont and then into New Hampshire.

Yesterday we was an absolutely fabulous cycling day.  Cool temps in the 70’s and clear skies.  We enjoyed two long climbs over the 83 mile course on New York route 7 and Vermont Route 9.  One thing about cylcing east to west, you go up and over the mountains.  Our first climb was approximately 10 miles long, but once we left Latham, New York, crossing the Hudson River, we were soon in the lush green mountains.  It was a pleasure to the senses to smell the rich, musty scent of the deep green forest.  The fragrance of the ferns that waved in the breezes at the forest edge was also pleasing.

A farm near Brattleboro Vermont

We passed many farms on our ride.  The town of Burlington had a moose festival with lots of painted moose statues sitting at various busineses.  This was similar to the cow program that had in Harrisburg many years ago. I thought it was quite clever how people can create unusual images to adorn the statues.

 

We had a great dinner of plank salmon, ice cream for desert and then back to the hotel for a briefing of Sunday’s ride and to finalize preperations for the Sunday night banquet. 

Everyone is quite happy that all of the riders that planned on riding the entire length of North America are still with us.  The America by Bicycle Staff told us there is usually a 10% attrition rate due to injuries or home emergencies.  What a group of healthy and lucky cyclists we have!

Today started with a shroud of fog.  It wasn’t so dense we couldn’t ride, but was just enough of a cover to conceal the beauty of what we would soon be witnessing.  It was a short ride across the Connecticut River into New Hampshire and our first of many climbs of the day.  It was a day of lots of ups and downs and I mean that literaly.  The hardest climb was at Joe English Road where the pave rose at 15% for almost a mile.  Fortunately the roads were in excellent shape so the descent into Manchester was fast and exhilerating. 

The skys clouded over with a threat of rain.  We were teased with a few rain drops, which caused us to pick up the pace, but the rain never materialized.  We entered Manchester tired but pleasingly dry. 

Ted enjoying and easy climb in New Hampshire near Manchester

 

Here are some pictures of the last two days in New England.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparing for the day's ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Francestown town hall, near Manchester, New Hampshire

Ken, Ted and Tom ride into Vermont

Bike along the Mohawk – Day 46 and 47

Chicks can fly

More donations, more Buzzkill T shirts.  Three more cyclists have donated and requested the now famous, in demand BuzzKill T shirts.  Your donation helps prevent the spread of Malaria to people in Sierra Leone.  Click on the link on the top left of the blog page to donate on line.

Item on note:  This was the last day we have to do laundry.  Sorry Kathy, I will be bringing home a load of dirty cycling clothes.

Day 46 from Liverpool to Little falls New York was a good cycling day.  Almost 18 mph for 78 miles.  The roads were quiet with little traffic in the morning as we cycled close to the old Erie canal.  This was ladies day.  All the women decided to ride together and they set a mean pace.  Who said Chicks couldn’t fly?  At one point I sprinted ahead to get a picture of these cycling femmes.  By the time I put the camera away and got back on the bike they were gone.  I sprinted very hard for quite a while until I finally caught up to them.  Thankfully they were slowing at an intersection or they would have beaten me to the first rest stop.  Take note:  Use restrooms in New York.  The policeman didn’t like us using his canal for a latrine.  Almost got arrested.  Boys will be boys.

Gene and John had 3 more flats.  6 yesterday and 3 today means they may be in first place for the most flat tires.   The last two hours of riding took us through some more great small towns.  How bad can a town called Herkimer be?  And, there is an East Herkimer.   The roads also had more debris along them causing several of the group to succumb to flat tires.  Staples caused more flats than any other debris today.  Strange.

I did see some more birds today, all pretty common.  I was surprised when a Pileated Woodpecker flew in front of our group.  I impressed them with being able to name it as it flew.  Some people are easy to impress.

Mohawk River at Little Falls New York

Little falls is wonderful little town that once had a cheese factory, bicycle factory and other manufacturing.  Unfortunately today the factories are closed and it has become a retirement, bedroom community.  The Mohawk river flows through the town between the main street and the Erie Canal.  Lock 17 is here. It has one of the highest lifts of any canal in the US at over 41 feet.  It takes 50 million gallons of water to fill it and it only takes 15 minutes.  We watched while a small boat was lifted to continue the journey down stream.

A small pleasure craft awaiting a lift in Lock 17 on the Erie Canal, Little Falls New York

We had lunch at a small bar and grill in town and got all the good news from the locals.  The limited menu included a few sandwiches and a mushroom stew.  The stew was a chili base without the meat and beans.  Mushrooms were in their place.  We had this and two beers for $5.50.  Too bad we weren’t here last night, there were fireworks and a parade celebrating canal days.

Saturday morning dawned cool and fresh.  The 50 degree temperature quickly warmed as we started the climb out of the Mohawk Valley and bade goodbye to Little falls. 

There was a long easy climb for the first few miles.  As we crested the large flat plain above the valley, we had a beautiful view to the west of the Mohawk River Valley.

Looking west into the Mohawk River valley and Little Falls, New York

After we crested from the morning climb, we entered a section of road with brand new paving.  It was like our tires turned to steel blades as we skated across the ice smooth surface.   The new surface made for a rapid, safe descent to our first small town and rest stop at Karen’s produce stand.

We entered the Erie Canal bike path once more as we moved along both the canal and the Mohawk river. 

A forgotten lock on the old Erie canal near Amsterdam, New York

There were beautiful estuaries and wetlands that I’m sure provided nesting for many birds.  The nicely paved path meandered through the woods, wetlands and along the locks.  We also passed an old lock that was a part of the original Erie canal.

 

I backed off my usual pace and decided to ride easy the last few miles along the Mohawk River.  It was quiet and quite lovely with the river on my left and the wooded marshes on the left.  I paused frequently to take a picture and enjoy the quiet beauty.

The restful pace will be do me good so that my muscles are ready for the two major climbs we have tomorrow to Brattleboro Vermont.

Mohawk River near Latham New York

 

Little Falls New York

The Erie Canal, Day 45

Erie Canal Pittsford, New York

We started out on a cool, overcast day which was just about perfect for cycling.  The roads were good with wide berms.  We entered the bicycle path along the Erie Canal after only 5 miles.  It was paved for the first 6, then was hard packed gravel.  There was a charity ride with lots of cyclists passing us.  They are a Christian group that raises money and refurbishes wheel chairs to send to people in need all over the world.  Great idea and a much needed service.

After about 15 miles on the trail, I was ready for the macadam.  You just don’t get a lot of roll for the effort on gravel trails.  The ride along the canal was very nice.  We saw a lot of Blue Winged Teal, Canada Geese and other common species. 

Ken, Tom and Ted at Pittsford Station on the Erie Canal

We left the canal trail after 25 miles to spend time on rural roads in the New York countryside.  It was very much like central Pennsylvania.  It was lush from the cool, rainy summer.  The rolling landscape with the old mountains were deep green.  Corn was the crop of choice, although we did see one field of cabbage plants yesterday. 

The day remained cool and the skies only cleared late in the day.  The population is getting more dense as we skirt major cities like Rochester and Syracuse.  We are passing through many small towns which are quite nice.  I haven’t seen a lot of the ubiquitous strip malls with the nail salon, tanning salon and other chain stores.  SubWay is by far the most prominent chain, which has eaten its way into convenience markets all along our route.  There are many small, family owned restaurants and the fare , as reported by the riders, has been very good.

The other problem with riding on roads with more people and cars is that there is more debris on the wide, well maintained shoulders.  Two of our friends, Gene and John, had six flat tires today.  On incident was caused by a dry wall screw going through the tire, tube and then being bent as it exited adjacent to the rim.  It hit the rim with enough force to cause a burr to appear where it exited.

It is almost unbelievable that we have had only one day of rain and a morning of misty drizzle since we began our escapade 44 days ago.  Tomorrow is expected to be in the high 70’s with favorable westerly winds.

Site of Cold Creek aquaduct that carried the Canal over Cold Creek

I used the new wheel that I borrowed and everything worked out fine.

Tom’s strained quadracep is healing nicely and he was able to ride with us much of the day.  I expect the three PA boys to be a team once again.  Its good to have the third person taking his turn at the front of the pace line.

Thank you all for the new donations that I have recieved for team Spokes 4 Nets.  Every dollar helps prevent the spread of Malaria.

I enjoy your comments, so please continue to respond.  

Tomorrow we ride to Little Falls, New York.

Locks along the Erie Canal

Good Bye Canada, Hello New York, Day 44

Entering New York at Niagara Falls

Ken at Niagara Falls

More donations have come in from member of our group.  The Buzzkill T shirts are a hit and the NothingbutNets folks keep sending me more to give away with a minimum $20 donation.  Please donate and save a family from the devastating effects of Malaria.  $10 buys a net, distributes it to a family in need and teaches them how to use it.  All money goes towards nets.  Click on the Malaria advertisement on the right to donate.

 

Ten riders from our across America group made donations and received their Buzzkill T shirt.

 

Our last day in Canada was from Brantford, Ontario, the boyhood home of Wayne Gretzky, to Niagara Falls.  It was a cloudy day but the falls were magnificent.  We maneuvered our bicycles among the cars and people.  We found it easier to walk the bicycles along the park on the Canadian side to view the spectacular natural display.  It is amazing how much water is flowing over the rocks every second. 

 

The plaza adjacent to the falls was jammed with people from all over the world.  The Canadians were celebrating civic days and we were treated to a short but exciting fireworks display on both Sunday and Monday evenings.

 

I had a rear wheel failure, cracked rim, on the way to Niagara Falls.  The America by Bicycle mechanic gave me a loaner until I could get a replacement.  I spent much of Monday morning working with bicycle shops attempting to find a reasonably priced wheel that would get me to Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Thanks to Jim at Pedal Pusher in Harrisburg, my home bicycle shop, he was able to arrange for one in Henrietta, New York.  There was an employee at a bicycle shop in Henrietta that actually gave me a wheel to use to the finish.  I will be mailing it back to him when I get back to Harrisburg.  What a magnanimous gesture from a fellow cyclist.

 

I have the area of central New York to be not as fertile as Ontario or Minnesota.  The soybeans and corn do not appear as succulent and the fruit isn’t close to fruition and we are another week into the growing season.  The weather has been quite cool across Ontario and New York.  Articles in the newspapers lament the loss of the summer due to the cool, wet weather.

 

We did see cords and cords of firewood.  The stacks of wood, looking so much like loaves of bread,  ready to be thrown in to the mouth of the furnace to satisfy the hungry flames to warm the homey hearth.  The early death of trees, lined up as corpses, being prepared for cremation, does not tell whether the monarchs of the forest were to meet a slow death at the mouths of the forest denizens that would gnaw at the bark and chew the roots.  But rather they were felled by the ravaging teeth of the woodsman’s chainsaw chewing a thousand more bites a second than the woodsy insects would do in a month.

 

We left Niagara Falls under a cloudy sky, with a warning of late day storms.  The cool morning gave way to a warm day with high humidity.  The dense air weighed heavy on my 180 pound frame, pushing me deeper into the saddle and making the wheels of the bicycle seem to roll slower and slower.  And then the nasty head winds picked up after 60 miles making the final twenty five miles seem even longer than expected.

 

Draw bridge ahead outside of Brantford, OntarioNagara Falls at night, US side

Niagara Falls at night, US side

Oh Canada

Steve, from Tasmania, rides a modified recumbent, near Port Huron

Our last day in Michigan was a nice ride from Birch Run to Port Huron, on the Canadian border.  It was an 87 mile ride, the weather was sunny but cool, which made for great cycling.  The terrain is very flat, and obviously the ground is quite fertile as we continue to see acres of corn and soybeans.  As we neared Port Huron, the clouds thickened and the winds picked up a bit.  We passed by some beautiful large homes and quaint cottages along the Michigan side of Lake Huron.  As we finally arrived in town we got our first glimpse of  the Blue Water Bridge which we will cross in the morning.

Tom pulled a muscle a few days ago and hasn’t ridden for 2 days.  He will be testing the quads tomorrow as he joins us across the bridge.

Blue Water Bridge connecting Port Huron Michigan with Ontario, Canada

The morning began sunny and warm.  We all wore our America by Bicycle jersys and prepared for the escorted crossing in Ontario, Canada.  We arrived en masse, recieved a brief session on our protocol and started riding.  As we climbed to the apex we saw great views of Michigan and Canada.  We had to stop twice to carry our bikes over the finger joints in the bridge.  They were so wide you couldn’t even roll your bike, it had to be carried.  Once on the Canada side, we cleared customs and all had pictures at the “Welcome to Ontario” sign.

Expansion joints were too wide to even walk the bike.

It was an easy ride to the motel in London, Ontario.  Ted and I joined the Tucson boys for the first 34 miles at 19mph.  We had a snack of cheese and bologna that Jim picked up on yesterday’s ride.  It was a welcome treat, since we have been eating banannas, peanuts, cookies and pretzels at the rest stop since June 22.   After the brief rest we continued on for a frew miles into Stratford for a great $7 lunch that included a sandwich, bowl of soup,  fries and a drink.    We passed on the fries because we still had over 30 miles to ride.

Before going to the Travelodge, we went to Reynolds Bicycle Shop. What a treat.  Lots of us bought Canada cycling jerseys that were discounted just for America by Bicycle riders.  They even gave us water bottles and T-shirts.

Ken modeling his new Canada jersey. He is so camera shy

Ted and I shared a few beers with Cindy and Russ, our new friends from Tucson, and then headed to dinner.  What a  pleasure that was.  The food wasn’t the greatest, but the conversation was hilarious.  Howie sulked away after recieving his meal.  Jim was hilarious with his usual wit, and I kept jumping up with the worst leg cramps I’ve had since the trip started.  Cindy felt so bad for me she had her husband Russ bring me some potassioum tablets.

What a day.  Time to turn in and get ready for tomorrow’s ride to Brantford, the home of Wayne Gretzky.

We rode easy today, at least until the rest stop.  Then with the aid of the west winds, Ted and I rode the last 30 miles at 20mph.  Tom was able to ride the entire 66 miles today.  In fact he felt so good he made a wrong turn and rode an additional 11 miles.  Must of been the chatty company he keeps.

Farm in Ontario near Brantford

The farms in Ontario were large and well kept. The houses set back off the road with expansive manicured lawns.  Many of the ranch homes were new and I was surprised we didn’t see more traditional farm homes like we have here in Pennsylvania.

We arrived in Brantford, had a cold beer and an hour and a half nap.  We didn’t hear Tom come in or get his shower.  When Ted and I awoke he was working on his journal.  An ice cream after dinner topped the day.  Pralines and cream and black cherry.  I rode hard so I deserved a double dip.

Tomorrow it is off to Niagra Falls.

More bars in more places. Except Canada

Tom, Ken and Ted at the entrance to Ontario

The Ferry, Flowers and Cat

The Nothing but Nets campaign is still waging battle.  I am at 30% of my goal of $10,000, so please donate if you haven’t done so.  Thank you everyone who has been so generous with their donations.  You can link directly to my team page by clicking on the Nets Icon on the right of this screen or you can send a check to CPCUMC, in Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania.  Please put Spokes5nets on the memo field.  $10 buys a net, delivers it and provides training on its use.  Help stop the spread of malaria by donating for the purchase of insecticide treated bed nets for people in Sierra Leone.

Days 36 through day 38.  Across Lake Michigan to Birch Run, Michigan.

SS Badger. The ferry from Manitowac, Wisconsin to Ludington Michigan

Today, July 27 was an easy one.   We slept late and rode the 3.5 miles to the ferry at Manitowac, Wisconsin.  After a visit to the local bike shop, where I was able to purchase a pair of Michigan Wolverine cycling socks, we went to a local sub shop to sample the fare.We  meandered about towand then went to the ferry dock to prepare for the 60 mile crossing of Lake Michigan.  The ferry was well prepared for all passegeners.  There was a movie lounge, kids play area, tv room, quiet room and a group area where there was bingo and other games.  A restaurant and bar was also available.  The upper deck had lounge chairs for those wishing to enjoy the sunshine.  The sky was clear but the winds were cool.  Most people were bundled up, protecting themselves from the chilling breeze.

We landed in Ludington Michigan, now in the eastern time zone.  Stopped for lunch at a great brew pub and proceeded to a less than classy Ramada Inn.

Brew pub in Ludington. Vivian, Gordon and Sylvia prepare for takeoff

July 28th was our last day over 100 miles.  We rode 113 miles in 6 hours to Mt. Pleaseant.  It was a nice town and we had dinner at Appleby’s forgoing another dinner at Ponderosa.  A trip to the cleanest laundromat we’ve seen since the beginning of the trip made for better than expected foray to launder our linens.

Today was awesome!  Another sunny day with light winds greeted our exit for a very nice Baymont Motel.  I had my own double bed in a room shared with Ray. I went to high school with his wife.  Small world.  We loaded the luggage and Ted, Larry, Steve and I headed for Birch Run.  74 miles and less than four hours later we arrived.  That would be a 20 mph average speed with only one 10 minute rest stop.   The SAG (support and gear) stop was set up at a busy intersection 40    miles from Mt. Pleasant.

SAG stop halway between Mt. Pleasant and Birch Run Michigan

Bud joined us at the stop and the five of us had an awesome pace line all the way to Birch Run.  Five miles from town a cat, running from the combine almost ran into Bud’s tire.  It than ran parallel with us, crossed in front of Ted and across road right in front of a car.  It used 3 lives in that adventure.

Yesterday and today we saw crops being harvested.  At the beginning our our cycling adventure the crops were barely knee high and green with growth.  Now the fruited grains are ripe with seeds and the harvest season has begun.  Michigan is much like Pennsylvania except the roads are straighter.  The wooded plots adjacent to the roads are filled with oaks and maples.  Along the edges the sumac, Queen Anne’s lace and other flowers prey on the morning sun as they rob the drainage swales of their moisture.  There are still thousands of acres of corn, but now we are seeing fields of asparagus, zuchini and pumpkins.  The orange bloosoms on the green vines fortell a rich crop jack-o-lanterns.  One more day and we enter our neighboring country to the north.  Remember your passport Kenny!

Till we meet again……

Rain has arrived in the Dells

Rochester was our stay at the end of Day 31.  There was a great statue in the lobby of the Motel 8 that I had to have a picture of.  It goes along with my favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings

Ken with his Norse friend in the lobby of the motel in Rochester

Day 32 was a fast 92 miles from Rochester to La Cross Wisconsin.  Ted, Tom and I teamed up with Larry and Steve from Tucson, Arizona.  We averaged 18 mph with some good climbs to mile marker 60, where the PA boys stopped for a light lunch.   We rode 14 miles on a paved bike path that was adjacent to a river.  We passed farms , fields of crops coming to fruition in the July sun.  Most areas did not have irrigation, so there must be enough rainfall to nurture the crops.  This area looked more like central Pennsylvania than any other area we’ve seen.

I was once again impressed with how well kept and neat the houses and farms are.

Tom on the bikepath to La Cross, Wisconsin

We had the opportunity to ride a paved bike path for over 12 miles.  The meandering black top paralleled a river that was framed by fields of corn and soybeans and woodet plots of cottonwoods, oaks and pines.  Wooden bridges carried us over the many tributary streams that fed both nutrients and runoff into the river. 

Our first rest stop of the day was adjacent to a  favorite local fly fishing hole.  The picturesque spot was right from the pages of a Norman Rockwell.

Fly fishing near La Cross, Wisconsin

We crossed the mighty Mississippi and are now officially in the east.

Our evening was spent in a family suite at the Best Western South in La Cross, Wisconsin.  Tom magnanimously allowed me the opportunity to sleep in a real bed while he slept on the sofa bed.  I had a great night’s rest.  The motel was really nice with a pool and whirlpool.  I needed to relax in both after the hard day’s ride.

The Wisconsin border outside of La Cross

We awoke to the threat of rain as we headed to Wisconsin Dells.   Over thirty miles of our ride was along an old railroad grade that is now a rails to trails.  We passed through three very long tunnels.  The first one was over 3600′ long.  We were required to carry flashlights and were not permitted to ride the bicycles.  It was eerie walking in the pitch black tunnel, where the cool 53 degree dampness brought condensation dripping throughout the tunnel.  The warm outside air and our breaths also condensed as we exited the tunnels.  The riders, at the tunnel exit, were shrouded in a foggy mist as they repacked their flashlight and prepared to ride in the drizzle that soon changed to a stead rain.

Bikers exiting the abandoned train tunnel on the Sparta Elroy bike trail

Paper birch and other trees that succembed to the eternal forces of gravity slid down the deep cut at the tunnel entrances and were lined up as in homage to the hordes of laborers that spent three years cutting into to rocky obstacles.   The dirt pathway morphed into a muddy mess as the rains continued to fall.  Our normal 16mph ride slowed to a ponderous 10mph as the trail softened, turning the trail into molasses.  It took full power constantly to keep the bicycle moving. Two tunnels and 20 miles later we came to the end of the trail.  Our bikes and bodies were covered with the brown ooze of the trail.  The tired, damp and dirty bikers cleaned the bikes as best they could in order to complete the thirty remaining miles of the day. 

John was quite a mess at the end of the Sparta-Elroy trail

I got into a funk.  Tired, dirty, my bike a mess, turned me into a not so much fun guy to be around.  I climbed aboard the eager steed, but my legs did not want to turn the pedals.

Fortunately the rain eased as the sun made its first appearance of the day.

The sun renewed our spirits, but the day wasn’t over and another trump card was to be played against us.  A few miles down the road a large black sign with a yellow stiped barracade warned us : Bridge Out.

Tom ready to carry his bike

We put on our cleat covers, hoisted the bikes on our shoulders and began climbing down the steep, grassy slope, across the creek and up through the mud, wet clay and onto the road surface.  Fortunately it was our last obstacle of the day.  The motel was ready for us with hoses and rags to clean the bikes.

Saturday, July 25 was a much better day.  We left Wisconsin Dells, a quaint town spoiled by the tourist infested plethora of water slides, and headed into the country side for our next destination, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.  It was a very nice day.  Our first rest stop in Montella gave us a harbinger of great things to come – Brat Grills.  It was Saturday, every town was having brat grills.  This is the mid west version of our chicken bbq.  The American Legion, the Boy Scouts, the church women’s society, and every other charitable organization was grilling and selling brats.  We couldn’t wait until our early arrival in Fond du Lac for a taste of this great Wisonsin treat.  We were not disappointed.  We arrived in Fond du Lac just after 1pm.  We inquired with the locals, just like Rachael Ray taught us, to find out where the best brats could be found.  We headed down Main Street to Ma&Pa’s Quik Stop.  Sure enough, right there in the parking lot were three wonderful ladies grilling up the brats.  Their fund raiser was for their daughter to be an exchange student in Washington D.C. this coming fall.

The brat ladies grilling lunch in Fond du Lac

Soon several riders joined us as we went inside, bought a few beers and sat on picnic tables enjoying our juicy treats.

Brats and beer in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Tomorrow we had a short ride to Manitowoc, Wisconsin before heading into Michigan.  We are now two thirds of the way into our summer adventure.  We’ve ridden over 2400 miles,  ate lots of energy bars and drank gallons of water.  The weather for tomorrow is clear and sunny with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms.  It appears we may be  heading into another batch of great weather.

……to be continued