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.

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

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

Ghost riders heading for Rochester

In the early morning fog leaving Mankato, Minnesota

The sun was shining, but we soon entered the fog as we headed east out of Mankato, Minnesota.  I am truly enjoying Minnesota.  The terrain is quite peaceful with thousands of acres of corn and soybeans.  I am not  a good judge of acreage, but it appears that there are farms about a mile apart.  Most of these are for agriculture and not animal husbandry.  The barns have manicured lawn around them with just enough gravel and tire tracks to let you know it is a working farm.  The homes are modest, but well kept.  Most of them are ranch style, but you do see the occasional more typical two story farm house.  Many of them have a rusted skeleton of a some type of pickup truck.  But unlike the rusted hulks you see way off in a field, these are destined for the restorers workshop.

Town Hall in Minnesota

This picture of the local town hall tells a lot of about the pride people have of their town.  It appeared that most community buildings and were parks are well cared for.

We have seen a few lakes, but most are part adjacent to a small town and the given name of the lake is assumed by the town.

Fred and his recumbent at SAG stop 1, Waseca, Minnesota

Today’s ride was a lot more difficult than yesterday’s.  There were a few hills and a calm wind.  Our pace was a little slower also, probably because we were recovering from yesterday’s hammer fest (cycling term for riding hard).  Did I tell you we completed yesterday’s century in just over 5 hours total from the time we left the hotel to the time we arrived at the next location? 

I found it almost humerous to see the thousands of acres of soy beans and every so often a lone corn stalk trying to be majestic maintaining a strong foothold on the fertile loamy turf.  Would anyone know the corn stalk ended up in the harvest of soybeans?

Horses on a farm outside Mankato, Minnesota

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s ride wasn’t without hazards. 

Road construction on Route 24, near New Concord, Minnesota

We portaged our bicycles around this construction site where they were installing new drainage pipes.  Notice the beautiful fields.

 

I’m also including a picture of the town of New Concord.  The town had a town square, but the limits of the community were one block in either direction.  The people were exceptionally friendly.  Ted, Tom and I decided to stop in and have a sandwich and soda at a local establishment, The New Conord Municipal Bar and Grill. 

New Concord, Minnesota

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Ken, Tom and Ted having lunch at the Municiple Bar and Grill, New Concord Minnesota

We had a great finish to today’s ride with a few miles of bike path along a river in Rochester.

Ted and Tom on the bike path, Rochester, Minnesota

Day 27 Sioux Falls South Dakota

Greetings from our last stop in South Dakota.

Standing water near Sioux Falls, South Dakota

This was our last full day in South Dakota.  The scenery continued with thousands of acres of corn and soy beans.  It is obvious the weather has not been good for the farmers this year.  We were told the spring was too wet to plant and then there was a very dry May, so the plants had a slow start.  June and July has been too wet and the crops aren’t growing like they should.  We saw a lot of standing water where there should be plants crowing.   The water is black and you can smell the rotting vegetation as you ride past the bogs.  The water birds like it.  We saw lots of plovers and ducks.  Most of which I couldn’t identify.  There are acres and acres of these wet bogs where no crops are growing.  Riding through this area for several days gives one a vivid picture of how much this impacts the farmers harvest.  We some some areas where 20% of the field was a muddy bog, or totally under water.  Multiplying what we saw by the total acreage in South Dakota, and one can appreciate the downstream effect of the harvest, the rancher’s profit, and prices at the store.

I have seen some of the largest farm equipment that exists.  I think it is interesting that a lot of these behemoths remind me, structurally, like the grasshoppers that we have seen.  Both of them move methodically through the fields, stripping it of its bounty.  Both are part of the food chain, one delivering food the silos for the masses, the other consuming the grains only to be fodder for a higher life form. 

We are passing more small towns.  The rural roads we are riding very often parallel the steel ribbons that carry the long trains of coal and products to the east, returning with manufactured goods.  The towns are usually around 12 miles apart.  I learned this is very consistent throughout the midwest, because that was the distance that the steam engines could travel on a fill up of water.

Grain silos along the railroad tracks, near Sioux Falls, South Dakota

This is my first time riding day after day across the same type of landscape.  Ted, Tom and I are always together, and usually in a pace line.  We have become very familiar with each other’s style of riding and can predict a move or reaction by watching for triggers.  Tom dips his head to look in his bar end mirror before making a move and he always slows down a bit.  You have to be alert so you don’t cross tires with him.  Ted pushes bigger gears and keeps an aerodynamic profile.  On a long ride it is important to drink and eat before you are thirsty or hungry.  You will see a rider, continuing at his pace, deftly reach for his stores in his rear shirt pocket while maintaing a straight line.  A need for a drink is signaled by holding the water bottle out to the side for the folling rider to see.  It is important to signal the rider behind you so they don’t get too close and contact your wheel.  Almost 100% of the time the rider that touches their front wheel to the other’s rear wheel is the one to go down.  A flick of the hand off the handlebars indicates you are ready for a break from the front.  The rider then peels off, usually to the left, and the next rider takes their turn at the front.  Depending on conditions (wind, rough road, heat) the time at the front can be several miles (with a good tail wind) or just a few minutes if it is hot and their is a head wind.  The professional riders take only a few seconds, 10 to 15, when they are at the front of a paceline.  This is very evident in the television coverage of the Tour de France.

Here are a few shots of today’s ride.

A small river near Mitchell, South Dakota

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rest stop at grain silos, 30 miles from Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Power grid, somewhere in South Dakota

The last days of South Dakota

Thanks everyone for the donations.  I just recieved word of another $350 donation for insect treated bed nets for people in Sierrea Leone.  Your donations are saving lives.  Please consider a donation if you haven’t already done so.  The NothingbutNets campaign, the United Methodist Church and I thank you.

July 16 we rode from Pierre to Chamberlain, South Dakota, 84 miles.  It was a very uneventful day, but was a nice ride along the very wide Missouri River.  For some reason Huck Finn kept popping into my mind, even though he drifted on another river many hundreds of miles away.  Everyone seemed down and unmotivated to ride hard.  Some people were suggesting the dinner at China Buffet was the reason.  Too much fried food and not enough carbs.

The road was rough and once we left the banks of the Missouri, there wasn’t much to look at.  Although the countryside is quite lovely, bucolic actually, with many herds of grazing cattle and vast stretches of verdent grasslands.  I did see a deer in a hollow, but no other wildlife.  We entered Chamberlain tired and hungry.

The Missouri river from the buttes east of Pierre, South Dakota

We left Chamberlain at 7:30A.M. and arrived in Mitchell at noon.

I saw a beautiful hawk on a fence post just outside of Mitchell.  Can anyone identify it?

Unidentified hawk on a fence post, Mitchell South Dakota

We are now in Mitchell, South Dakota, home of the famous (some people here would like to believe) Corn Palace.  Why isn’t this in Iowa or Nebraska?  Today was an easy day of 70 miles with only one small climb at the beginning of the ride.

Chamberlain South Dakota from the Butte above the Missouri River

We were in Chamberlain yesterday.  It is a very quaint midwestern town that is dieing a slow death.  The box stores in Mitchell, 70 miles away is drawing the dollars from the shops in Chamberlain.  The Chrysler/Jeep dealer is closed as is many other stores.  We had a great breakfast and a good dinner last night at the Anchor Grill.  Lunch was at the Derby.  An eclectic little place that was a strange combination of restaurant, saloon and living room.  There was an old piano which Scott Joplin should have been playing.  Stacks of newspapers, childs toys and a laptop were on tables around the long narrow hall.  The tap had 3 local brews and a sign announced another 15 brews from mid west microbrews.  We had excelent sandwiches on a choice of rye, sourdough, wheat and white. A pint and half a sandwich fetched a mere $6.00.  Not as cheap as the two dollar pints in Rapid City, but still a bargain.  Some people got haircuts for $8.00 and a history lesson of the town.  The bridge in the foreground was closed yesterday amid great consternation by the towns people.  Apparently the D.O.T closed it without notice, and it is not to be reopened until December, 2010.  There will be a hearing in a few days.

One of our stops today was at the store in the picture.  You can buy anything you want at Mac’s.

They had cattle prods, syringes and needles to vaccinate animals, chips, candies, spam, drinks, chain saws, bailing wire, tools, gasoline and too many other things to mention.  We were glad to tour leaders didn’t buy the cattle prods.

Farm and convenience store near Chamberlain, South Dakota

We had another day of wonderful weather.  Sunny and 75 degrees.  It just doesn’t get any better than that.

There a lot of concrete roads in the towns and outskirts. The problem riding on concrete roads are the expansion joints.  It doesn’t take many miles until the ta-dump, ta-dump, ta-dump every few seconds starts driving you crazy, not to mention the numbing of the hands and the additions stress on the butt.  We rolled along at a very nice pace until we reached 10 miles from town.  I don’t know why we don’t learn to control ourselves, but we saw targets ahead and had to catch the riders ahead.  Just like the Tour de France, we can’t let a breakaway get out of hand.  We finished the last 10 miles at a blistering 21MPH.

The last few days were easy and the mind tended to wander beyond the grassy plains.  I began seeing other cyclists with names befitting their riding style.  There was the Hunchback of Notre Dan; Upright Ursulla, Tommy Tuck and Wobbly Willy.  We are fortunate that almost all the riders are doing a great job and riding hard.  There are few problems and just about everyone is getting along just fine.

There is a rodeo in town tonight but I decided not to go.  I am sitting here icing down my hip.  I took a bad fall coming in to Mitchell on the concrete street.  My front tire got caught in a open crease that seperated the main driving lane from the gutter next to the curb.  As best I can figure, when the wheel went into crease, it stopped the bike very quickly.  Unfortuately I didn’t.  I was launched to the right, bouncing once off my hip then doing a header (yes, I did have a helmet on) into the sidewalk.  I was in a great deal of pain.  I landed very hard on the hip.  After a few moments of writhing in pain and getting the deserved attention I generally crave, I began reviewing the parts of my body that were sending messages to the brain.  Everything seemed in tact.  Several people were with me and a few men from a quick lube came to my aid.  The men wanted to call 911, but Ted had the sense to suggest they wait until they find out what my injuries are.  I’m glad Ted had the sense to do that.  If an ambulance showed up, I would surely have gone to the hospital, and then had to deal with the America by Bicycle and lots of hassles.

Ken writhing in pain. Mitchell, South Dakota (a reenactment)

After it was determined that I really was alright, we decided to do a reenactment for the record.  This picture is a recording of the event.  I am amazed that I wasn’t hurt and that there was absolutely no damage to the bicycle.  I had the mechanic check out the bike and he concurred.  A crash like this usually ends with a broken collar bone.  I’m glad I prayed for safety this morning.

Tomorrow, it’s off to Sioux Falls and our last day in South Dakota.  Can’t wait for cheese and brats in Wisconsin.  I hope I can find a cheese head to put over my helmet.

Here are some random pictures I hope you enjoy.

Corn Palace, Mitchell South Dakota

Ken at the Corn Palace, Mitchell South Dakota

Ken and Tom at the half way point across America, outside Pierre South Dakota

Much of the ride followed the Lewis and Clark Trail

Wild west silhouette outside Pierre, South Dakota

Ted riding through the rock spires near Mt. Rushmore

Mt. Rushmore South Dakota, July 2009

Days 18 to 23 Lots of news

Riverton Wyoming to Casper was a long, long day.   We left on Thursday, July 9 at 6:22 am and arrived in Casper around 4PM.  We were hot, tired and hungry.  We had a head wind 80 of the day. It felt like the road was reaching up around your tires purposefully slowing you down.  I was able to  join a pace line with my buddies Tom and Ted and we caught up with Sylvia, Gordon and Vivian.  We rode 1 mile intervals, taking turns at the front for about 20 miles.  It made the time go fast and sure did give us a break from the relentless winds.

Buffalo hide, head attached, drying in the Wyoming sun.

We didn’t see much wildlife with the exception of a few pronghorn antelopes and a lot of roadkill; badgers, deer, porcupine and various and sundry squirrels and rodents.

A highlight of the day was Hell’s Half Acre.  This is a site that the indians would use to run the buffalo in to the ravine.  Then the women would go down and butcher the animals.  It was neat to see, but because of the hues of the rock, it was hard to get a sense of the depth.  Our eyes played tricks on our ability to sort out the contrasts in elevations and canyons.

Ken at Hell's Half Acre, Casper Wyoming,

Friday was a much needed rest day and we went to see the Oregon Trail Interpretive center.  The North Platte River was a major  crossing point in Casper.  Freemont and other famous western explorers mapped out routes for the settlers heading west.  During the height of the migration west, over 6000 wagons could be seen on the trail.  It was interesting to get a perspective from both the Native American and pioneers’ viewpoints.

The room we had at the Ramada Inn was rather small and I had a real problem with the roll-away bed they provided.  The first one was for a child.  The second one was so soft, I awoke with a back so sore, I thought I fought with grizzly bear all night.

Fortunately, the next day, I met the general manager of the motel.  She asked about our stay and we shared that the meals and service by the staff was excellent.  I then told her of the problem with the bed and asked that if anything could be done to get me a better bed, would be greatly appreciated.  Much to my happiness, when we returned from an excellent steak dinner, a message from the front desk stated that I had my own room for the night, with no cost to me or America by Bicycle.  Boy was I a happy camper.  A good night’s sleep had me ready for the 107 mile ride to Lusk, Wyoming.

The ride to Lusk was also uneventful, with a few exceptions.  It was still windy and the wind was in our faces.  Mike the ride leader decided to ride with us for a while and pulled the front for 6 miles.  It was nice to get out of the headwind, but he made us work hard to keep up with him.  The best part of the day was getting to our motel room.  The first impressions wasn’t too encouraging.  The Covered Wagon Motel in a town of 2600 people didn’t look too impressive.  Much to our surprise and pleasure, our room was huge.  Three double beds and room for suitcases and three bikes.

The real treat of the day was the Rawhide Day Parade.  Yesiree folks, this was the real wild west, and a parade through town, right in front of our motel to prove it.

The Sheriff of Lusk Wyoming, polishing those mirrored sunglasses

Folks, I gotta tell you, this here frontier town pulled out all the stops.  Why they had indians, the U.S. Cavalary,  cowboys, saloon girls, and even a float to acknowledge Steal Magnolia’s.  The parade had cars, fire engines – I mean one fire engine (small town you know).  The people in the parade even threw candy to the bystanders.  This Rawhide celebration drew people as far away as Missouri.  We spoke with an elderly couple who arrived by motorcycle from Missouri just to see this event again.  It was their 5th time in Lusk.

Oxcart in Rawhide parade, Lusk Wyoming

The best was yet to come.  For a mere $12 one could witness the reenactment of the Legend of the Rawhide at 8PM shapr in the county fairgroud.  Well I gotta tell you pardner, this greenhorn wasn’t about to miss this event.  No sirree bob.  So Tom and sauntered over to the arena, trying to fit in as best as possible with all those cowboys, cowgirls and just good ol’ downhome country folks.  A demonstration like this wouldn’t be fitting without the Star Spangled Banner.  The young cowboys paraded Old Glory in front of the grandstand riding their well trained steeds.  I must say the young men and women who participated in this pagent were excellent horsemen.

The gist of the legend was of a wagon train that passed through Lusk around 1848.  They camped for the night in the black hills just south of town.  One of the pioneers had an urge to kill and indian and he bragged about it to everyone.  A peacefull evening around the campfires ended with the young man shooting the Indian chiefs daughter, a princess.  Well, you can imagine what happened.  The indians began circling the wagons whooping and hollering.  The men were riding bareback and were riding very fast.  It was impressive.  In order to  instill peace, the man gave himself up and the indians hung him from a tree and skinned him alive.  What a pagent.

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Covered Wagon Motel, Lusk Wyoming

From Lusk we headed north to Hot Springs, South Dakota.  A 94 mile ride that we average almost 16 mph.  The road wasn’t the best. The D.O.T. in Wyoming like to oil and chip their roads.  The stones were a real menace. The little stones would be sent flying from the biker’s tire in front of you. I was hit in the lip, sunglasses and helmet by the sharp little projectiles.  The little dennisons were like an army of ants at a picnic.  Just like these grass pirannha’s would nibble away at your lunch as you played games, the stones would bite and chew away at your rubber meal that was to sustain you for another 2000 miles.  We incurred many flat tires on the eastern side of Wyoming.

Welcome sign on the Wyoming, South Dakota border

As we left Hot Springs, we rode through the restored part of town.  It was very authentic early cowboy revival architecture (whatever that means) with restaurant and store names that belied their ancestry.  As I passed by the restored train station I could almost hear the whistle of the 310 from Yuma. We crossed into our fourth state and are nearing the halfway point of the trip.

We entered the Wind River National Park and were disappointed we didn’t get to see the buffalo herds that are an integral part of the history of this territory.  We did see prairie dogs as the barked their shrill warnings and scurried to their burrows.

Praire dog in Wind River National Park, South Dakota

I would have loved to see a fox or coyote sneak up and eat one of the little varmints.

The best part of the day was just coming up.  We had another laborious climb and got our first glimpse of the monument to Crazy Horse.  The proportrions of the carving is impressive.  One can now understand why it is taking so long to finish.

Crazy Horse Monument, Custer, South Dakota

The western part of South Dakota is magnificent.  The black hills of ponderosa pines precipitously clinging to craggy ledges of rock were stunning.  As we slowly climbed and descended in and out of the valleys we saw cabins and ranches almost hidden back against the rocks and surrounded by pines.

Black Hills South Dakota

The highlight of the day was a long climb away.  We ascended into the hills on smooth roads at 8% grade.  We rounded one final turn and there, in front of us, was Mt. Rushmore.  We were able to park the bicycles and spend some time admiring the memorial to four great presidents. After enjoyig the rocky masterpiece, we made a fast descent down the 10% grade to Keysone.  The tourist trap mecca of South Dakota.  (I lie.  Wall, South Dakota, is now the leader).

Mt. Rushmore South Dakota

We had a quick lunch at a Subway and rode the long rolling hills into Rapid City.  We had to hurry, tornado warnings  were being posted.  As we crested one last hill we could see the menacing darkness on the horizon.  The angry clouds were nasty shades of grey, black and white.  A torrential downpour hours later was proof of the prognostications.  We were spared the tornado but received a beating of wind, rain and hail.

Today opened with fair skys and favorable winds.  We left Rapid City and headed into the rolling green hills with 20 to 30 mph winds across our left shoulders.  We made the 57 mile trek to Wall in 3 hours.  A blistering 20 mph average speed.  Unfortunatley 20 miles of the race were on I90.  I rode the last mile at over 30 mph, with sustained speeds of 35 until I reached the exit ramp 109.  It was a thrill.  We entered Wall, home of the famous Wall Drug Store.  Interesting place.  I’ll let you look at it on the web and you can judge for yourself.

Tomorrow promises more tail winds at 10-15 mph for our 120 mile stage to Pierre.

Talk to you soon.

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