I'm currently in the beautiful state of Wyoming and the town of Lander. The scenery is fantastic and has been for almost a week now, red coulees set against snow capped peaks. If I had known, I would have just started the trip in Pueblo Co. and gone west from there, but I guess that you kind of have to do the trip to figure it out. At this point however, I'm really glad I'm headed west. It would be hard to do this trip Eastbound, because all the best stuff is out west.
The past few days I've traveled a ton of distance. Doing about 300mi in three days. While its kind of unexpected, once your in the high plains of Colorado/Wyoming its really quite flat. In addition, the scenery makes the miles fly by.
Passing through much of the mountainous regions of Colorado I was amazed to see the percentage of bark beetle kill. Most of the entire mountain range is brown with about 95% kill. This is what about 50 some odd years of a U.S. Forest Service policy of fire suppression compounded by global climate change does for forest health. When the area burns, (and I mean when not if) the entire Rockies will likely go up in smoke.
Yesterday I met up with a father son couple who I had met in Virginia. I was amazed to see them again, initially thinking that they must have blown ahead of me somehow. However it seems that they made a tactical uhaul move and bypassed Kansas and Eastern Colorado. Its great to see them, and their company is fantastic after several days of being by myself. In fact Lander seems to be an unavoidable stopping spot due to the next jump being about 75mi. so a lot of cyclists convene here.
As for being by myself, I think it is starting to get to me. Crossing the great divide basin yesterday staring at the road to navigate its horribly broken surface, I zoned out in a big way... ya I think I'm starting to loose it a little.
Crossing hoosier pass was pretty great, the highest point in the trip. Since then I've crossed the continental dived 3 more times and I think I cross about another 2. Initial estimates as of now put me in Anacortes July 21-25.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Day 27 Mountain Time
My tactics have been spot on, the day after my last post I flew 130 miles with one heck of a tail wind. One segment that day was 58 miles without any sevices or stops passing therought the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, this segment I did in 2.5 hours in a rainstorm. When it comes to a situation like that however, there are really two options one can choose from, hunker down and wait for better weather, or RIDE LIKE HELL. I chose the later.
As I have move furthur west, the climate has become drier, moving less from corn and more into wheat and finally into dryland cattle range. The human population has become more and more sparse as well, sometimes traveling many miles without seeing any houses or people. The scale of the farming has increased congruently. While in Easter Kansas, there was little irrigation Western Kansas has many center pivots the largest I saw had 15 segment! In addition the size of the combines and tractors have increased. I have now entered Colorado and mountain time, but besides the road signs theres not a whole lot of destinction between the western Kansas and Eastern Colorado biological continum.
One thing that did strike me about Kansas was the amount of oil wells. Aparently oil is a bigger source of revenue than argiculte in the state. Oil wells speckle the landscape some turning some not and some starting to turn all-of-the-sudden (why, I don't know). The oil is pumped to a cluster of tanks and various states of direpair in the near vacinity with a spill burm of sand around their base, but it is obviouse its just for looks.
I spent at least an hour today riding along at 17mph and making phone calls to pass the time as the road pans strait out in front of me at a very slight incline. Bugs also have become quite a nuisance, I am covered head to toe in black gnats which stick to my skin because of the sweat and sunscreen. Once the gnats have started then the ladybugs arrive hoping for a meal.
I have begun to realize that people are not as friendly as they once were. While the older population will still ask you where your going out of the blue the conversation usually ends there. The yonger folk, won't talk to you at all, and if prompted to star a conversation will not reciprocate.
Tomorrow I hope to be in Pueblo Co., the largest city I will hit on the entire route. Its prettymuch the last stop before getting into the hills of the Rockies, which will be a fantastic change after the continual plains. I'm about half way done with the trip as of today so I estimate my return at about July 24... we'll see...
As I have move furthur west, the climate has become drier, moving less from corn and more into wheat and finally into dryland cattle range. The human population has become more and more sparse as well, sometimes traveling many miles without seeing any houses or people. The scale of the farming has increased congruently. While in Easter Kansas, there was little irrigation Western Kansas has many center pivots the largest I saw had 15 segment! In addition the size of the combines and tractors have increased. I have now entered Colorado and mountain time, but besides the road signs theres not a whole lot of destinction between the western Kansas and Eastern Colorado biological continum.
One thing that did strike me about Kansas was the amount of oil wells. Aparently oil is a bigger source of revenue than argiculte in the state. Oil wells speckle the landscape some turning some not and some starting to turn all-of-the-sudden (why, I don't know). The oil is pumped to a cluster of tanks and various states of direpair in the near vacinity with a spill burm of sand around their base, but it is obviouse its just for looks.
I spent at least an hour today riding along at 17mph and making phone calls to pass the time as the road pans strait out in front of me at a very slight incline. Bugs also have become quite a nuisance, I am covered head to toe in black gnats which stick to my skin because of the sweat and sunscreen. Once the gnats have started then the ladybugs arrive hoping for a meal.
I have begun to realize that people are not as friendly as they once were. While the older population will still ask you where your going out of the blue the conversation usually ends there. The yonger folk, won't talk to you at all, and if prompted to star a conversation will not reciprocate.
Tomorrow I hope to be in Pueblo Co., the largest city I will hit on the entire route. Its prettymuch the last stop before getting into the hills of the Rockies, which will be a fantastic change after the continual plains. I'm about half way done with the trip as of today so I estimate my return at about July 24... we'll see...
Friday, June 19, 2009
Day 24, Somewhere in middle america
Day 24 finds me in Hesston Kansas, I've only moved 12 miles since this morning, and there is a good reason: WIND! This isn't your regular wind though. I'm traveling due west trying to keep a modest flat ground pace of 15 mph the wind is out of the SW at currently... 23 gusting to 29 mph. The result is pedaling downhill (yest there are long rolling hills in Kansas) in my smallest chain ring just to keep 6 mph its exhausting. I was able to make 98 miles yesterday but about 20 of that was with the wind. In addition I camped out in a city park through mid day till five pm to do the last 38 miles. So today I'm saying Fu** it. Heres the good new though, the wind is forecast to die out and come strait out of the South tomorrow and as I move further east may forecasts show a NE wind. All told this should make conditions much easier.
Aside from weather, Kansas has been what I expected, rolling plains of corn and wheat as far as the eye can see. girded roads every mile. At times to avoid unnecessary headwind I have gone off the route and cut through on country roads. Its nice to get of off the rout but the cost is riding on dirt/gravel country roads, the calculations have paid off every time so far though. I don't think there are many more instances where that is a possibility since the rout seems to stop making frivolous stops by towns just to say on pavement. Meh! pavement smavement.
I wish I could say that the wind in Kansas was the only bad weather I've had since my last post but the truth is getting out of Missouri was hampered by 75mph winds and 3.5 inches of rain in one hour. It was pretty crazy, I haven't seen rain that intense since Puerto Rico or Australia. I was hunkered down on a porch bivied under my rain fly peering out looking for a funnel cloud. Apparently everyone else in town had high-tailed it to their respective storm shelters but I calculated I couldn't dash without getting drenched. Apparently my calculation paid off. However when it came time to leave all the roads in and out of town were flooded making my westward press stalled for a few hours.
Anyway weather weather weather weather... I will persevere!
Aside from weather, Kansas has been what I expected, rolling plains of corn and wheat as far as the eye can see. girded roads every mile. At times to avoid unnecessary headwind I have gone off the route and cut through on country roads. Its nice to get of off the rout but the cost is riding on dirt/gravel country roads, the calculations have paid off every time so far though. I don't think there are many more instances where that is a possibility since the rout seems to stop making frivolous stops by towns just to say on pavement. Meh! pavement smavement.
I wish I could say that the wind in Kansas was the only bad weather I've had since my last post but the truth is getting out of Missouri was hampered by 75mph winds and 3.5 inches of rain in one hour. It was pretty crazy, I haven't seen rain that intense since Puerto Rico or Australia. I was hunkered down on a porch bivied under my rain fly peering out looking for a funnel cloud. Apparently everyone else in town had high-tailed it to their respective storm shelters but I calculated I couldn't dash without getting drenched. Apparently my calculation paid off. However when it came time to leave all the roads in and out of town were flooded making my westward press stalled for a few hours.
Anyway weather weather weather weather... I will persevere!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Day 17?
Wow, I can't even remember what day I'm on. I'm now in Elington Missouri, having crossed the Mississippi river yesterday. Today has brought me into the Ozarks which are the last hills before the great plains. I've met up with 6 other bikers over the past two days and we have been riding together which has been a great change of pace.
Eastern Kentucky was insane, much of the time I felt like I was in the third world. Lots of broken down winding roads leading into the mountain, lots of trash, lots of dogs, lots of trailers, lots of poverty, lots of confederate flags and a few neo nazi flags too... no I'm not joking... fu**ing crazy. I can't believe that part of the country is actually IN this country.
By contrast, western Kentucky is an altogether different state, rolling hills, lots of horses, and you can actually see some distance. When I picture "America" its something like western Kentucky but its crazy that eastern Kentucky poverty is "America" too.
The most amazing part about this trip so far has by far been the friendly people. Specifically, the folks at First Baptist Church in Sebree Kentucky, it has really changed my perspective on churches. Beyond that people have been so friendly opening their doors to bikers such as in my current situation, a friendly family, warm showers, food, for 6 people!
Anyway I'm expecting to be in Kansas by Thursday of next week then the miles will really start to click.
Eastern Kentucky was insane, much of the time I felt like I was in the third world. Lots of broken down winding roads leading into the mountain, lots of trash, lots of dogs, lots of trailers, lots of poverty, lots of confederate flags and a few neo nazi flags too... no I'm not joking... fu**ing crazy. I can't believe that part of the country is actually IN this country.
By contrast, western Kentucky is an altogether different state, rolling hills, lots of horses, and you can actually see some distance. When I picture "America" its something like western Kentucky but its crazy that eastern Kentucky poverty is "America" too.
The most amazing part about this trip so far has by far been the friendly people. Specifically, the folks at First Baptist Church in Sebree Kentucky, it has really changed my perspective on churches. Beyond that people have been so friendly opening their doors to bikers such as in my current situation, a friendly family, warm showers, food, for 6 people!
Anyway I'm expecting to be in Kansas by Thursday of next week then the miles will really start to click.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Day 8
Day 8 finds me in Damascus Virginia. The ride for the past day has been beautiful but the last four days have been quite hilly. Things in general are going very well. I've been averageing about 80 miles a day and my legs feel great. The sorest thing is my butt but i'm making due.
A couple of days ago I went to Thomas Jeffersons estate Montecello; a truely beautiful and amazing peace of history there. The east side of the apalachians and through the tide water is amazing historically. The area is filled with battle fields and historical sites.
So far I've only had one night of rain and my tent did great, rain here is a little different than back home, when it rains here it really rains hard. The bike has been woring well also, some minor kinks but the have all been easy to repair and better than I could have hoped really.
I'm just north of the boarder with Tennesee right now and I'm hoping to make it into Kentucky today but the "hardest climb of the trip" is about three miles ahead of me so we will see how that goes.
OK the road awaits, ciao!
A couple of days ago I went to Thomas Jeffersons estate Montecello; a truely beautiful and amazing peace of history there. The east side of the apalachians and through the tide water is amazing historically. The area is filled with battle fields and historical sites.
So far I've only had one night of rain and my tent did great, rain here is a little different than back home, when it rains here it really rains hard. The bike has been woring well also, some minor kinks but the have all been easy to repair and better than I could have hoped really.
I'm just north of the boarder with Tennesee right now and I'm hoping to make it into Kentucky today but the "hardest climb of the trip" is about three miles ahead of me so we will see how that goes.
OK the road awaits, ciao!
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