Brendon's Big Ride Across America 2008

Sunday, August 17, 2008 - One Week After Return

2008-08-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

It has been one week since we completed the Big Ride Across America. I was surprised to see that I lost 16 pounds during the ride. This happened even though I ate close to two times what I would normally eat. I had to force myself to eat at times because I knew that I would need the extra calories to burn. Now the goal is to keep the weight off.

I went back to work the Monday after the ride. It was nice to get back to work and back into the swing of things. I also got back to riding. This past week, I rode a little over 200 miles. It was good to get back to “my” riding schedule since I really enjoy being able to go where I want to go and for how far and how long I want to. If I don’t feel like riding a certain amount of miles for the day – like the daily queue sheets dictated - I don’t have to.

The ride was definitely an experience of a lifetime and I will remember it forever. There were wonderful times and there were tough times. I am so thankful to everyone who took the time to read my postings and to those who sent me comments along the way. These comments helped keep me motivated knowing that there were friends out there with me. I also want to thank my wife and kids for being so supportive. Talking to them over the phone along the way reminded me that they were cheering me on and waiting for me to return. Finally and most importantly, I want to thank my Lord Jesus for my safety and for helping me to endure through the good and bad times. There were a lot of prayers during this ride and I know that they helped me get through it all. This ride has drawn me closer to Him knowing that with Him, all things are possible. I know that I would probably be stuck somewhere in Montana right now if it was me on my own.

Thank you all..now on to my next big adventure – whatever that may be!

Saturday, August 9, 2008 – Day 48

2008-08-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

Start: Clarksburg, Maryland
End: Washington, DC
Miles: 55.43 Total Miles: 3,508.76 BRAA Total Miles: 3,323.80
Time: 3 hours 49 minutes (avg 14.5 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 11

The last day. This morning we had to get up early even though it was a short ride into Washington, DC. The reason was we had to be at the check point by a certain time and then we all had to gather at the lunch stop at around the same time. This would allow us to all ride to the finish line in succession.

As I got closer to DC, the traffic became much heavier and much more aggressive. I knew I was back in the Washington metro area when I got inside the Capital Beltway and the cars stated honking and being very unfriendly to bike riders.

Once we left the street and got on the trail, things got even busier. It was Saturday and the trail was loaded with weekenders. We had to navigate through a lot of walkers, runners and bikers. Really, we had to slow down and realize that we were in the big city and no longer in Montana.

We all met for lunch at the old post office building in DC. A Big Ride alumni from several years back owns a Greek restaurant and provides lunch for the riders each year. Once we were done, we headed to the finish line near the Lincoln Memorial.

My family and a couple of friends were their meet me and welcome me home. It was pretty exciting to see everyone there and to finally be done.

What an experience. One that I am very excited that I took on and completed. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and followed me across the United States. Without you all, the ride would have been even tougher.

Friday, August 8, 2008 – Day 47

2008-08-08T12:28:00.001-07:00

Start: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
End: Clarksburg, Maryland
Miles: 49.82 Total Miles: 3,453.33 BRAA Total Miles: 3,270.80
Time: 3 hours 15 minutes (avg 15.3 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 1 Total flat tires for the ride: 11

The day started off with me pumping up my tires before the day’s ride. Since it was still a little wet out, my tires were wet. As I was pumping up my front tire, I saw the air bubbling out of a small hole in the tire. I knew I had a slow leak, but did not want to fix it until I had to. Well, seeing the air coming out of the tire, I decided to repair it. Number eleven for the ride. Hopefully it will be the last.

We left Pennsylvania early on in the morning. About six miles into the ride, we entered Maryland. The road we were on did not have a fancy welcome to Maryland sign, but it did have a marker letting everyone know that we had entered Maryland.

Since the ride was a short one, there were not a lot of opportunities for pictures. I did see a couple of farms in Maryland that I would love to live on – at least from a distance they looked great.

Tomorrow will be a short ride as well and will be the final ride into Washington, DC. We will arrive around noon at the Lincoln Memorial. It should be an exciting day and then back to the old routine.

Thursday, August 7, 2008 – Day 46

2008-08-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

Rest Day: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Miles: 0.00 Total Miles: 3,403.51 BRAA Total Miles: 3,221.20
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 10

Today was our last rest day. We spent it in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I didn’t do too much during the day. I did go for a walk through the town of Gettysburg and looked around at the businesses. Other than that, I hid out from the storms that were passing through the area.

Two short riding days ahead of us left. It is hard to believe that it is almost over.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 – Day 45

2008-08-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

Start: Bedford, Pennsylvania
End: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Miles: 104.30 Total Miles: 3,403.51 BRAA Total Miles: 3,221.20
Time: 7 hours 17 minutes (avg 14.3 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 10

The weather forecast at dinner time last night was for nice weather overnight and the following day. Well, we all know that the weather people are sometimes challenged. They included a 10% chance of shower to cover themselves.

At about 4AM, I heard a noise on my tent…guess what it was? Rain. It started raining pretty hard. I had planned on getting up at 5AM to start packing up for the early start we were trying to get due to the long ride ahead of us. The rain continued until about 5:15 when it stopped. This was great because we were then able to pack up without getting wet. The only bad thing was packing up the wet tent. It could have been a lot worse. That was it for the rain for the day.

The roads were wet and messy when we got going. It didn’t matter much since we had to get started. We had over 100 miles ahead of us and we had to climb over the Appalachians.

As we rode, we could see the mountain ridges in the distance. They were not too clear due to the low clouds that were still in the area. Maybe that was a good thing so that we could not see exactly what was ahead of us. Here is a picture I took at an overlook. It was looking back on one of the ridges we just climbed over and was from another we were currently climbing.

We rode through a place called Breezewood today. It is a center of activity for truckers since it is centrally located between several interstates. I have driven through this area many times, but the experience on a bike was much different. It is a very busy place.

Off to the right was a sign that I enjoyed seeing. It shows me that we are getting closer to DC.

After Breezewood, we climbed for a number of miles. We went through a national park which was a wonderful ride. The amazing thing was we kept going up and then we turned a corner at the top and there was a huge lake with a bunch of people swimming and sunning themselves. It was like an oasis. We had our PB&J stop there before continuing on.

The rest of the ride was a lot of rolling hills. It was definitely a long, tough ride, but it was expected since this was the “final exam” of the ride. I guess since I arrived at our destination – Gettysburg – I passed the exam.

Tomorrow will be a rest day in Gettysburg before we ride our final two rides into Washington, DC.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008 – Day 44

2008-08-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

Start: Confluence, Pennsylvania
End: Bedford, Pennsylvania
Miles: 80.02 Total Miles: 3,299.21 BRAA Total Miles: 3,119.40
Time: 5 hours 37 minutes (avg 14.2 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 10

Wake up time was strange this morning. It was foggy and warm. It had to be because we were in an area surrounded by hills and the weather was kind of trapped in with us. We headed out on the trail that we rode in on yesterday. We were on the trail for another 31 miles. The only difference today was the weather. It was drizzling early on. About half way through the trail, the rain became much harder. It only rained about fifteen minutes, but the bad part was the trail got messy when the rain was added to the crushed limestone. It almost became like cement and it got all over me and my bike. No big deal though, it washed off nicely when we arrived in camp.

There was a bridge along the trail that was very long. When I got on the bridge, I said to myself, “Whoa, Lisa wouldn’t be able to get across this one!” Lisa is my wife and she really dislikes bridges. It was long and it was high up. Good thing there wasn’t any wind or it would have been a little dangerous.

I was riding down the road getting close to our destination for the night and I came up behind a guy in a tractor pulling something. As I got closer, I was even more confused when I saw that it was some sort of building that he was dragging behind the tractor. Dragging…no wheels under the building. He signaled me to pass, but I just had to stop and take a picture. This was a pretty heavily traveled road and this guy was dragging a building.

I know that I have seen a lot of cows along the ride. Today, I saw this guy as I was waiting for others to arrive in camp. He was standing next to where I parked my bike. He was actually a part of the miniature golf course, but I had to take a picture.

Tonight, we will need to get some good rest because tomorrow is what is being called “the final exam” of the total ride. It is scheduled for 100 miles and it will include a lot of climbing. We have to go over the Appalachian Mountains on our way to Gettysburg. It should be fun.

Monday, August 4, 2008 – Day 43

2008-08-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

Start: Washington, Pennsylvania
End: Confluence, Pennsylvania
Miles: 91.59 Total Miles: 3,219.19 BRAA Total Miles: 3,041.20
Time: 6 hours 9 minutes (avg 14.9 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 10

This morning was a cold start. The temperature was in the mid 50s when we got going. It took several miles to get warmed up. Then the hills started. We had quite a few hills during the first half of the ride. There were two really good size climbs mixed in as well.

We rode through the Mingo Creek Park in the morning. It was beautiful. It reminded me so much of my time riding in the national park in Ohio. It was so peaceful to just ride casually and look at the trees and river along the way.

We were tracking along the Monogahela River for part of the morning. The river is the result of the Ohio River and the Alegheny River meeting. They combine to form the Monogahela River. It is quite a large river.

A little less than half way through the ride, we reached the Youghiogheny River. There is a trail that runs along the river and that was our route for the last 52 miles of the ride. The trail is made of crushed limestone and my mountain bike just loved it. There was basically no grade for the entire 52 miles. It was enjoyable and the scenery was nice as well. The trail is part of the rails to trails project where old railroad routes are converted into biking and walking trails. The trail stretches from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Maryland where it meets up with the C&O Canal trail that can be ridden all the way into Washington, DC. We will not be following the trail that way, but it is wonderful to see a trail that runs for so many miles. Here is what the Youghiogheny River Trail looks like.

Here is a short video of us riding on the trail.

While on the trail, we reached the official 3,000 mile mark for the ride. I say official because I have bonus and other miles that took me over 3,000 several days ago. It is exciting to finally reach the 3,000 mile mark. That means we now have less than 300 miles to go before entering DC.

We know that we have less than 300 miles to go now since while at a rest stop, we saw this sign.

This rest stop was provided by a Big Ride Alum from 2000 named Fred Husak. He provided sandwiches, chips, fruit, and drinks for the riders. To top it all off, there was an ice cream shop in the park where the stop was and we were treated to unlimited ice cream. Thank you very much Mr. Husak. I know we all appreciated it very much.

Finally, we crossed the Youghiogheny River toward the end of the ride. There were a lot of river rafters riding down the river and enjoying the small rapids. We are spending the night in the Outflow Campground. Its name comes from the fact that it is at the point where there is a dam that holds back the river waters. We are staying right across from the point where the water from the dam flows out. It is pretty loud, but I don’t think I will have any trouble sleeping through it.

Sunday, August 3, 2008 – Day 42

2008-08-03T14:43:00.001-07:00

Start: New Waterford, Ohio
End: Washington, Pennsylvania
Miles: 63.14 Total Miles: 3,127.60 BRAA Total Miles: 2,952.60
Time: 4 hours 18 minutes (avg 14.7 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 10

We were allowed to sleep in an extra hour this morning since the ride was going to be a short one. The only problem was several alarms still went off at the normal time. I guess it didn’t matter too much since I was able to continue resting for a little while longer. The ride was shorter than the average day, but it was a tough one with all the hills we had ahead of us. The real test is still ahead of us over the next few days in Pennsylvania on our way to Gettysburg.

After some good climbing this morning, we came across this sign. This is always a good sign, because it usually means we are headed for a big downhill. Indeed, we had a big, fast decent right after this sign. I was rolling at a maximum speed of just under 40 miles per hour.

Five days of riding in Ohio finally came to an end when we reached Pennsylvania – state number 11. This is the second to last state we will visit prior to riding into Washington, DC. Right before reaching the state line, we got our first look at the Pennsylvania skyline. We have reached the state of nuclear power plants. We crossed a bridge between two power plants and the enormous cooling towers on both sides of us.

Pennsylvania skyline view from Ohio.

It was nice to reach another state, but along with the change to Pennsylvania came the hills – rolling hills and a lot of them. These things continued for the next 40 miles. I guess I should get used to them since they will be with us for the next several days.

I did find a couple of new friends this afternoon. They were eating along the side of the road. They didn’t like me much. When I went to take their picture, they walked the other way.

We are in another camp ground this evening and will only have a few more nights in our tents. There are only six days left before we enter DC and only five of them are riding day.

Saturday, August 2, 2008 – Day 41

2008-08-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Start: Burton, Ohio
End: New Waterford, Ohio
Miles: 62.38 Total Miles: 3,064.46 BRAA Total Miles: 2,891.00
Time: 4 hours 01 minutes (avg 15.5 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 10

We had quite a storm last night blow through camp. Right before I went to bed, I was watching the storm coming in from Lake Erie. That was about 10PM. At a little after midnight, it arrived. The thunder and lightning was powerful and the wind was blowing like crazy. There wasn’t a whole lot of rain, but the combination of rain and wind made it seem like a lot. The storm came and went quickly and I fell back to sleep in cooler air.

Today’s ride was a very short one. The mileage was supposed to be just under 59 miles, but with a couple of route changes, it turned out to be a little over 62 miles. Even with the extra miles, it was still a really short day. It only took four hours to complete. We are resting up for our climb over the Appalachian Mountains that we will reach in a couple of days.

During the ride, we passed one of Ohio’s steel mills. The steel industry is a big part of Ohio – or at least it used to be. This plant was roaring away.

I was riding down one of the rural roads and was thinking about the lack of corn. The corn fields have definitely started to decrease. We still see smaller fields here and there. So, as I was riding down this road, I had a flashback to the cornfields of Illinois and Indiana. The only difference was this was a tree lined road as opposed to a corn lined road. Ohio is definitely a beautiful state during the right seasons.

In camp, the mysterious mischievous campers were at it again. The rider with the tent that is large enough to have a party in had some remodeling done to his tent without his knowledge. The tent is so big that someone put a picnic table in it and actually set the table. Needless to say, when he returned, he had to find a way to get the table out of his tent. There was no one taking the credit for the remodeling and no one offering to help take it out.

Friday, August 1, 2008 – Day 40

2008-08-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

Rest Day: Burton, Ohio
Miles: 2.80 Total Miles: 3,002.08 BRAA Total Miles: 2,832.40
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 10

Today was our second to last rest day. We spent it in Burton, Ohio. It is a small town of about 500 people. It reminded me a lot of the town that I lived in – Sagamore Hills – when I lived in Ohio.

Yesterday, I went out to mark the route to the fairgrounds where we were camping on the street with chalk for the remaining riders. As I was chalking the street right in town, a city official stopped me and asked me what I was doing. I explained about the bike ride and where we were staying and he told me that next year we need to let him know so he can put out signs directing everyone to the fairgrounds. He was very polite, but he didn’t want me writing on the town streets. He said that in a small town, they don’t take kindly to that kind of thing. Even if it is chalk that will wash away in the next rain.

I also had the opportunity to spend some time with a friend. I was picked up and whisked away to his home for dinner and a wonderful bed for the night. What a treat to have a home cooked meal, a bed and sharing with friends. Thank you Rudolph family. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

We have seven riding and one rest day remaining until we reach Washington, DC. The only real obstacles in our way are the hills/mountains in Pennsylvania. Hopefully, they will not be too tough. Regardless, we are continuing forward.

Thursday, July 31, 2008 – Day 39

2008-08-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

Start: Sandusky, Ohio
End: Burton, Ohio
Miles: 100.04 Total Miles: 2,999.28 BRAA Total Miles: 2,832.40
Time: 6 hours 53 minutes (avg 14.5 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 10

This morning’s portion of the ride was spent mostly along the coastline of Lake Erie. There were several parks along the way where we could stop and appreciate the size and beauty of the lake. It is definitely one of the Great Lakes. In addition to the lake, I was amazed at some of the homes that were recently built or in the process of being built along the coast. There were so many and they were fabulous.

Just across the street from the lake about fifteen miles or so into the ride, I saw this strange looking structure and stopped to take a picture. The sign said Atomic Blast Shelter. I was curious if this was still in working condition and if the people who live next to it are preparing for a blast anytime soon? It did look like it was well kept and ready for use.

After a detour that was due to a draw bridge being out of order (I think), we made it to downtown Cleveland. I have driven through the city on many occasions, but it is very different on a bike. I arrived right at lunch hour, so the streets were quite crowded with cars and people walking to lunch from all the offices.

Just down the street from downtown Cleveland was the famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It is located right on the lake. What a perfect location. Also off to the left is the Cleveland Browns football stadium. There is definitely a lot going on in Cleveland.

Continuing on down the road, our route was directed onto the Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway. It took us along the side of the lake by the airport and marina. What a beautiful ride and once again the weather was just right. There appeared to be a thunderstorm brewing to the south of the route, but it didn’t affect any part of our ride.

I thought this was funny…it seems like the group of riders stops at almost every Dairy Queen along the route. Today, I saw a Dairy King. I am not sure if anyone stopped there or if it compares to Dairy Queen, but I guess the owners thought the King should get equal time.

We went through an area in Cleveland called Little Italy. As you leave Little Italy, you have to go up a very steep hill. I was stopped at a light waiting to climb the hill and a guy in a car next to me said, "Are you going to ride up that hill?" I told him yes and he asked if I had done it before. I told him this was my first time, but it was just the next hill in a series of hills since Seattle, Washington. It took him a second to realize what I said and then looked at me like I was crazy and said good luck before driving away. It is funny to see the disbelief at times when telling people what we are doing.

The last 20-30 miles of the ride brought us back into rolling hills. It was tough since we have been riding on flat ground for so many days. It was good though since we have more rolling hills ahead of us in Pennsylvania. We needed to feel the burn once again to prepare us. The day's ride ended up being 100 miles due to two detours we had to take. So, add another century to the log.

Looking back on today’s ride was interesting. I used to live just south of Cleveland and we have driven to Cedar Point in Sandusky several times. We used to think that was a really long drive and after a long day at the park, we would say what a drag it was to have to drive all the way home. Well, now that I have ridden my bike that far and a little further, I have a different perspective. Those long rides in the car will take on a different meaning from now on.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008 – Day 38

2008-07-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

Start: Napoleon, Ohio
End: Sandusky, Ohio
Miles: 89.10 Total Miles: 2,899.24 BRAA Total Miles: 2,740.00
Time: 5 hours 5 minutes (avg 17.5 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 10

We experienced another episode with people near the campground that apparently had too much to drink. It took place at a house across the street from where we were camping. There was a lot of screaming and foul language. It was like watching the sequel to the Coal City experience. The police eventually made their way over and things quieted down.

The morning started a little earlier than I had planned. I was going to get up at 5AM, but at about quarter till 5, I heard a couple of rain drops on my tent. I jumped into action packing my stuff so I could take down my tent before any heavier rain came. I know how quickly storms can move in this area and wanted to keep my tent as dry as possible. Well, those few drops were about all we had. It was no big deal. It just got me going earlier. Throughout the day, we only received a few small rain drops here and there. They were actually welcomed to help cool things down, especially the humidity.

The ride today was fantastic. So many of the factors came together at the same time. We had flat roads that did not have much traffic on them. The biggest factor was that we had a tailwind between 5 and 15 miles per hour for most of the ride. That combined with the other factors enabled us to ride quickly. I averaged about 2 to 3 miles per hours more than usual. For about 50 miles, we were riding at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour with not too much effort.

There are riders on this trek that spend thousands of dollars on their bikes and riding gear. Some bought new bikes just for this ride. I wanted to recognize one of the riders that did not go to any extreme whatsoever in purchasing riding gear. She has ridden over 2,700 miles so far from Seattle, Washington to Sandusky, Ohio in Converse low top basketball shoes. She will finish the ride with them as well. I rode in tennis shoes until the beginning of this year, so I know how much different it is to ride with real biking shoes.

I knew that we were officially in Ohio today when we reached the Ohio Turnpike. I spent many hours driving on the turnpike when I lived in the Cleveland area, so it was like a homecoming to me. Actually, tomorrow we will ride within about 15 miles from where I used to live – just south of Cleveland.

When we arrived in camp this afternoon, there was a baby bird on the ground next to where we were going to setup camp. Someone reached out their hand and the bird jumped right on her hand. It was pretty cool. The bird was eventually put back into the tree for safety, but it came back a little later looking for food. Experiencing things up close is so eye opening.

We are camping in Sandusky, Ohio right next to Lake Erie. About half the riders are heading over to Cedar Point Amusement Park this evening to enjoy the roller coasters. I know they will have a fun time, but I don’t want to be out until 10PM and then have to get up tomorrow morning. Also, I have already been there several times, so I know that I am not missing anything.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008 – Day 37

2008-07-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

Start: Kendallville, Indiana
End: Napoleon, Ohio
Miles: 71.37 Total Miles: 2,810.14 BRAA Total Miles: 2,652.20
Time: 4 hours 34 minutes (avg 15.6 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 10

Last night after dinner, we checked my back wheel that was a little out of true due to the rough Indiana roads. I thought I had hit a pot hole causing the rim to get a little goofy. Well, when we were checking the spokes to see where the trouble was, we found it right away. One of my spokes was broken. It snapped at the hub. So, since it was late, we decided to put it off until the ride for today was complete. I had already ridden 50 miles on it yesterday and today’s ride was only 70 miles, so I thought I would just wait. As I am writing this, it is being fixed and will be ready to go for tomorrow’s ride.

Before leaving this morning, we chuckled a bit when we said today’s ride was only 70 miles. The key word is “only”. Under any other circumstances, a 70 mile ride would be considered a long ride for most of us. But when the average daily ride is 83 miles, a 70 mile ride is a blessing.

About 25 miles into the ride, we reached the state of Ohio. State number 10! Since we are riding on side roads and very rural country streets, there was no pretty sign welcoming us to Ohio. There was a yellow line painted in the street by one of the support crew and an old faded paint job that said “Welcome to Ohio” that was probably from a prior ride. So, I took a picture of the street sign showing that we indeed crossed into Ohio.

I wanted to sneak this picture in since I took it as we were leaving Ohio. I turned around at the Pennsylvania state line and got it for the record.

Once we headed into Ohio, I thought we might see some different scenery. Well, I was wrong. Corn to the right of me and soy beans to the left. Just like the last two states.

We are staying the night at the county fairgrounds in Napoleon, Ohio. There is a large empty warehouse that we have to hang out in and most will be camping outside. There are a lot of bugs again. This time – at least so far – it is flies. They are driving us nuts. That is the main reason for sleeping in a tent tonight – to keep the flies away.

Tomorrow will be an early start since our destination is Sandusky, Ohio and some of the riders want to head over to Cedar Point Amusement Park. The ride will be a few more miles and getting an early start will be good to attempt to beat the afternoon heat.

Monday, July 28, 2008 – Day 36

2008-07-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

Start: Valparaiso, Indiana
End: Kendallville, Indiana
Miles: 111.17 Total Miles: 2,738.77 BRAA Total Miles: 2,582.20
Time: 6 hours 38 minutes (avg 16.7 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 1 Total flat tires for the ride: 10

We got a late start this morning after breakfast. Several of the riders were a little later than others getting to the truck to pack and turn in their keys to the dorm rooms. We were not allowed to get our queue sheets until all the keys were turned in. At this point, it really is no big deal. We knew it would be a long day of riding combined with losing an hour due to the time zone change, so we just accepted it.

We had another “episode of where is the street?” We were following our directions and then we ran into some construction that was being done on the street we were supposed to be on. We couldn’t ride on the street though since it was not there. It was completely torn up. So, we had to find our way around the construction. It was rather comical. There was about ten of us trying to find the next road on the queue sheet. We were riding around in small groups and we kept looking down the streets and seeing each other going in different directions. The funniest thing was that we all came back together at pretty much the same time and at the same location, which was back on route.

Not too long after the construction zone, I got my tenth flat tire. I am not too upset, since I am used to fixing them now. I figure at this rate, I will get two to three more before the trip is completed.

There was a lot of corn once again. The corn is so high on both sides of the road, you can’t see anything else.

I also saw more cows today. This was the first time in a couple of days that I can remember seeing cows. It was nice to see something other than corn for a change.

We also came across a sunflower field. There were hundreds of sunflowers. It was so cool to see them one after another.

Toward the end of the ride today, we came across these guys. They looked like giant poodles since they were apparently just shaved. They were either llamas or alpacas – not sure if these are the same thing. The group I was riding with called to them and they came running over. I think they were looking for food. They were right up in our faces. A little too close for my comfort level.

Tomorrow is a short day. Only about 70 miles into Ohio – our tenth state.

Sunday, July 27, 2008 – Day 35

2008-07-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

Rest Day: Valparaiso, Indiana
Miles: 12.73 Total Miles: 2,627.60 BRAA Total Miles: 2,472.50
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 9

Today was a rest day at Valparaiso University. I did pretty much nothing but sit around and attempt to let my backside heal. After riding and sitting on the saddle for seven days, your backside gets really raw from rubbing and really, REALLY sore. I did take a bike ride to do a little looking around the town. I stopped and picked up some stuff for lunch. Later on in the day, I walked to get something for dinner. Other than those two things, I didn’t do much more. The dorms we were staying in were pretty nice. The rooms and the lounges were air conditioned, so spending time between the two was relaxing after camping in the hot and humid campgrounds the past several nights.

Tomorrow will be another 100+ mile day. On top of that, we are going to ride into the Eastern Time Zone, so we will be losing another hour. It will be a long one for sure.

Saturday, July 26, 2008 – Day 34

2008-07-26T19:17:00.000-07:00

Start: Coal City, Illinois
End: Valparaiso, Indiana
Miles: 87.67 Total Miles: 2,614.87 BRAA Total Miles: 2,472.50
Time: 5 hours 44 minutes (avg 15.2 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 9

So, the big question that we are asking ourselves is, “How can it be that the rolling hills in Illinois (they are quite small) can seem more difficult than the mountains in Washington (Snoqualmie Pass) and Montana (The Rockies)? The past several days have seemed very tough, but I am pretty sure it is because we were fresh and ready to tackle the early rides. This past week has seemed much tougher because of all the miles we have put in with no real rest time in between.

I just have to bring up the activity at the camp ground we stayed at last night. It was a really nice camp ground that you supposedly have to be a member to be able to use the facilities. Things went fairly well until around midnight. A couple of the campers obviously had too much to drink and a verbal argument ensued. It went on for what seemed like hours. The comment that we all remembered best this morning had something to do with the wife/girlfriend not being too pleased with the husband/boyfriend’s “Internet girlfriend”. It was pretty hilarious.

Today’s ride was a nice one. The weather was great and we had a northwest wind that helped us along most of the way. I guess it was also a nice day to go fishing. Considering it was Saturday, fishing in the morning is a nice thing to do. These guys were out having a good time, I am sure.

We passed a restaurant today called the Launching Pad. I am not really sure the point of the guy standing in the parking lot, but I thought it was a neat picture. He was very large and obviously caught my attention as well as several others.

We made it to state number nine today. A little more than half way through the day, we reached Indiana. The funny thing is due to our route, there was no welcome to Indiana sign. So, the support crew painted a state line on the street where we actually crossed over into Indiana. When we reach our next state – Ohio – I will turn around and hopefully be able to get a picture of the welcome to Indiana sign from the other side of the state.

That was it for the day because as soon as we reached Indiana, the streets quickly deteriorated and I could barely think about anything else since my brain was being shaken every which way from all the bumps and holes in the road. From what I was told, the residents of Indiana are proud of their terrible roads. We were told that the roads will not get any better during our time in Indiana. So, more shaking to come.

Tomorrow is a rest day in Valparaiso, Indiana. We are staying at Valparaiso University in the dorms. Once again, a well needed rest day. Especially after about 650 miles in the last seven days.

Friday, July 25, 2008 – Day 33

2008-07-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

Start: Belvidere, Illinois
End: Coal City, Illinois
Miles: 102.92 Total Miles: 2,527.20 BRAA Total Miles: 2,388.90
Time: 6 hours 35 minutes (avg 15.6 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 9

I really only have one word for the entire ride today…CORN! There was corn on both sides of the road just about the whole way. It was very tall as well, which limited what could be seen around the surrounding areas. I guess the only thing around the surrounding areas was corn because when we did get a peek here and there over the corn, there was more corn. It was everywhere for miles and miles. Have I made my point yet? Here is a picture to show just how tall the corn was. It was close to nine feet tall.

I seemed to have a problem today – or at least my bike did – trying to figure out whether we were coming or going.

Actually, we were just playing in the corn at a water stop. When you ride 316 miles in three days, you get a little tired and need to goof off a little bit to keep things interesting. Also, when all that is around you is corn, you have to be creative when goofing off.

Well, today was our third 100+ mile day in a row (3 centuries). That is quite an accomplishment. We now have less than 1,000 miles to go before completion of the ride. Closer every day.

Thursday, July 24, 2008 – Day 32

2008-07-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

Start: Madison, Wisconsin
End: Belvidere, Illinois
Miles: 100.06 Total Miles: 2,424.28 BRAA Total Miles: 2,287.70
Time: 6 hours 50 minutes (avg 14.6 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 9

As we broke camp this morning, we were attacked by the mosquitoes. They did not go away from the night before. When I looked up at the roof of my tent, it was covered with mosquitoes between the tent and the rain fly. It was awful, but at least they were on the outside of the tent. They were still there when I unpacked my tent this afternoon to set it up at our stop for the night.

I figured out where all these mosquitoes in the area come from. The “mother of all mosquitoes is located in Belvidere, Illinois. I saw this one as I got close to our camping destination. I sure hope it doesn’t visit our campsite. I know all its smaller relatives will definitely be there.

We started our ride out of the campsite and off on the side of the road were a couple of Sand Hill Cranes. We weren’t sure what they were, so we asked out resident bird expert and she told us that the picture I got was actually of some babies. There were adults with them as well, but I focused in on the babies.

About half way through the ride, we reached our state number 8 – Illinois! How exciting. That means we only have four more states and Washington, DC left. After tomorrow’s ride, we will be less than 1,000 miles from completion.

For those of you that have been following my postings, you will know that I have been watching the cows watching me. They are a strange bunch. They were not staring today. I think they were too busy playing king of the mountain. I took two pictures so you could see the winners and losers together as well as the winners up close.

Toward the end of the ride, I think we became a little delirious. We started to see things that weren’t really there. Specifically, there was what we thought was an amusement park off in the distance. We thought it looked like roller coasters. As we got closer, we realized it was just another bunch of farm equipment.

Tomorrow’s ride will be another century (100+ miles). That will be three in a row. That will be quite an accomplishment once we complete it.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 – Day 31

2008-07-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

Start: Viroqua, Wisconsin
End: Madison, Wisconsin
Miles: 112.94 Total Miles: 2,324.22 BRAA Total Miles: 2,189.50
Time: 7 hours 32 minutes (avg 15.1 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 1 Total flat tires for the ride: 9

We started off today in a fog. Not the kind related to the weather, but the confusing kind. Our queue sheets told us to head down a road that wasn’t there. The entire road was removed during construction. I believe they were replacing it, but it just wasn’t there. We ended up riding around for a while until we found the correct road to be on after the road that did not exist. It wasn’t a big problem and didn’t add too many additional miles, so we were fine once we were back on track.

Then the real fog came. We headed through several low clouds through the hills. They were wet and seeing was a little difficult because the visibility was so low. Once we came out of the fog, it was a fantastic day. It was in the low 80s, which was perfect for the long ride we had. One hundred thirteen miles is a long way to ride. Especially, considering it wasn’t flat. There were plenty of sizable hills along the way.

I don’t have a lot of pictures today since it was such a long ride and I was just trying to make it to our destination. It was a nice ride today with a lot of corn fields to look at with neat designs. I think it is from rotating the crops, but I definitely could be wrong. The patterns were so cool to look at.

We found another sign that I think is designed to confuse us. In Wisconsin, you have to be good with your alphabet to know which roads are which.

I made a new animal friend along the way.

Actually, he was in a petting zoo along the side of the road. I thought it was interesting that there was a zebra in Wisconsin.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 – Day 30

2008-07-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

Start: Winona, Minnesota
End: Viroqua, Wisconsin
Miles: 71.27 Total Miles: 2,211.28 BRAA Total Miles: 2,079.80
Time: 4 hours 39 minutes (avg 15.0 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 8

When we heard that the ride today would only be 66 miles, we knew that there was a catch. The catch was we had to get out of the Mississippi Valley and that meant climbing hills. There was a lot of hill climbing. Up and down…up and down. The best part was that the scenery was beautiful. We rode through a stretch that had many Amish families in it. I even saw a horse drawn carriage going in the opposite direction. We were asked to not take pictures, so unfortunately, I don’t have any to share of the Amish, but I do have a couple of the scenery.

We had our first rest stop at the home of a family that has been providing the stop for several years. The mother and father were there along with seven girls – 5 daughters and 2 cousins. They are fans of the Big Ride and this is their way of supporting it. They had so many delicious treats and fruit to snack on. It was great. They fed us and had individual pictures of us from our blogs that we like trading cards that we signed. They keep information on all the riders from each of the years.

We reached our seventh state – Wisconsin. That is seven down and only five plus DC to go. We are getting closer to completion.

Just after we entered Wisconsin, we crossed the Mississippi River. What an enormous river. I guess this means that we are now officially on the eastern side of the United States. I saw a typical riverboat/paddleboat a little further back, but could not get a good picture. I hoped to see one as I crossed the bridge, but there were none in sight.

Then the climbing began. We had a ten mile stretch of up and down hills. It was topped off by a one and a half mile climb that was huge. It was great because once we reached the top, there was a nice cool breeze and the views were gorgeous. I saw these guys sleeping along the side of the road. When I went back to get a picture, they woke up and started to take off.

Tomorrow, we have a 100+ mile day. It will be a tough one, but we will then be that much closer to getting home.

Monday, July 21, 2008 – Day 29

2008-07-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

Start: Owatonna, Minnesota
End: Winona, Minnesota
Miles: 94.42 Total Miles: 2,140.01 BRAA Total Miles: 2,014.10
Time: 5 hours 52 minutes (avg 16.0 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 8

I had a hard time getting in the riding mood this morning. We had ninety miles to ride and I just didn’t want to get going. Needless to say, I did get started and ended up riding much of the day on my own.

Early this morning, I saw this hot air balloon off in the distance. It caught my attention as I thought it would be a great thing to go and do. I will add this to my list of things I want to do in the future.

The day was a cloudy and cool one. It looked like it was going to storm at any time. It didn’t. It actually cleared a bit in the early afternoon and turned out to be a really nice day.

Today was a special day. Several Big Riders from the 2007 ride had a rest stop for us in Rochester, Minnesota. A couple of them are from the Rochester area and wanted to visit with the new riders as they passed through. They had fruit, donuts and cookies for us. It was a great stop – thank you 2007 Big Riders.

A little further up the road, we had to stop when we saw a brother and sister team selling lemonade. We almost emptied their pitcher because they were just so cute. Their mother came out to make sure they were doing ok and the little boy said, “Mom, we need more big cups.” We were drinking so much, they were very excited.

Toward the end of the day’s ride, we reached another milestone. We finally reached the official 2,000 mile mark for the ride. That means we only have about 1,300 miles remaining. I am very excited about reaching this point. We are now less than three weeks away from the finish line.

Spending time today by myself, I was able to enjoy the scenery and take in the awe of God’s creation. It is so beautiful – other than some of the farm smells of course. This ride is showing me so much and teaching me even more. Going into this ride, I was sure I would be able to finish the ride. The actual riding can be broken down into forty individual rides - no problem. My silly concerns about camping and bathrooms were so minor compared to what I am learning. I immediately got over these silly concerns. As the days have passed by, I am realizing how much I miss my family. I am reassured through spending time with God during the ride that I will be with them again soon enough. When I feel like I want to give in, I am at peace knowing that I am being cared for and watched over. With His guidance and direction, I will complete this ride and be home before I know it with a deeper appreciation for what we are given. He gives me strength.

Sunday, July 20, 2008 – Day 28

2008-07-20T13:25:00.001-07:00

Start: New Ulm, Minnesota
End: Owatonna, Minnesota
Miles: 73.63 Total Miles: 2,045.59 BRAA Total Miles: 1,923.90
Time: 4 hours 36 minutes (avg 16.0 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 1 Total flat tires for the ride: 8

It was really tough to get back on the road this morning after a nice rest day. Especially, since it was so foggy and wet out. But, if I didn’t get back on the road, I would be stuck in New Ulm, Minnesota and would never make it home. So, onward we went.

Almost the entire ride was in a fog. I could say that I was also in a fog, but I was actually riding relatively fast today. The theme of the ride today would have to be fog, soy beans and corn. Since all that we could see through the fog was the miles and miles of soy beans and corn growing.

I know I am going on a bit too much about the fog, but I took this picture of my arm to show how wet I was. I was so wet, it was almost as if I was riding in the rain. My helmet, shirt and shorts were dripping wet.

The group that I was riding with part of the day wasn’t practicing safe riding habits. One of the riders was texting some friends to let them know when he would be arriving to our destination. Then, the rider next to him just had to take a picture because he thought it was so funny to be texting while riding. So, the guy next to him had to take a picture of both of them for the same reason. I topped it off by taking a picture of all of them. These are the kind of things we do during the ride to keep it interesting.

Our first support stop for the day was next to one of the first Dairy Queens built. Unfortunately, it was closed because we were there so early, but it was neat to see such an old DQ and to see that it is still in business.

A little further down the road, we came across a bunch of houses that were up on blocks. It was the strangest site, to see about a half dozen houses not on foundations. As I passed, I saw a sign that advertised house movers. Apparently, these house movers come into an area that is going to be developed and move the houses that are already there – if they are in good condition.

At our PB&J stop, the sky began to clear and so we just sat in some comfy chairs and looked at the peaceful lake across the street. We were making such good time, we decided to just hang out a little longer than usual because it was so relaxing.

Right before getting to our destination today, we passed the Owatonna power plant. It was worth stopping and taking a picture.

We are staying the night at the county fairgrounds. It was funny as a number of us pulled into the camp area. There were quite a few locals hanging around the ice hockey building and when they saw us pull up and start setting up camp, they were in awe. They just starred as we hopped off our bikes and popped up our tents. They were all talking to each other and pointing. At this point in the ride, it made no difference. We are used to just about anything.

Saturday, July 19, 2008 – Day 27

2008-07-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Rest Day: New Ulm, Minnesota
Miles: 5.45 Total Miles: 1,971.96 BRAA Total Miles: 1,851.70
Flat tire count today: 1 Total flat tires for the ride: 7

Ahh, a rest day. It was needed after riding for the last six days straight. Next, we have the longest stretch of consecutive riding days for the entire trip. We will not get another rest day for seven long days. The bright side is that after the next seven day stretch, we will be through three more states. Over the next week, we will be finished with Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and will almost be through Indiana.

I spent some time this morning and afternoon riding around the town of New Ulm. It is a small town with a big German influence. There are a lot of German restaurants and bars in the downtown area. This weekend was especially busy because they are having their annual Bavarian Blast. There will be food, music, activities and a parade. People come from all over to attend the Blast.

It was a good thing that we had a rest day today. The morning started out with rain and there is more expected this afternoon. Many of the riders are taking the rest day to clean their bikes not only because it is needed, but because of the mess from the rain a couple of days ago. Hopefully, the rain will stay away for a while, but you know how it goes when you wash your car…the rain is usually close behind.

We will continue on to Owatonna, Minnesota tomorrow. We are getting close to our final destination of Washington, DC. Only three weeks away.

Friday, July 18, 2008 – Day 26

2008-07-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

Start: Tyler, Minnesota
End: New Ulm, Minnesota
Miles: 88.72 Total Miles: 1,966.51 BRAA Total Miles: 1,851.70
Time: 5 hours 24 minutes (avg 16.4 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 6

The weather changed again this morning. I went to sleep last night with the rain fly for my tent half way off since it was a little warm and I wanted to have some cooler air flow through. About midnight, I woke up and my pillow and other things inside were a little damp. The dew outside was getting thick. I got up and put on the rain fly all the way. It was a good thing, since in the morning, the entire rain fly was soaking wet. We had very thick fog when we were getting started. The first several hours were spent riding in the fog. It was a little creepy at times when cars and trucks were coming from behind and in front of us and not being able to see them until the last moment.

We saw quite a few lakes today as well. Minnesota’s welcome sign said 10,000 Lakes, and now I understand why. There are a lot of lakes. One that we rode by this morning either had swans or pelicans floating around on it. They were real pretty.

Later in the morning, I came across this sign. It is a good thing that I knew to continue straight on the road I was on, because I would have been very confused trying to figure out which way to go.

One of the things that signal us that we are approaching our next town is the storage facilities that we can usually see for two to three miles before we arrive. These are right along the train tracks. Most of these towns are pretty evenly spaced throughout the states and appear to be originally set up by the railroad companies many years ago.

As we road by the many corn fields this afternoon, we found one field that had some bicycles riding on top of it without riders on them. A little afternoon corn field fun broke up the monotony of the day’s ride.

A group of us stayed together most of the day today. It was a relatively flat ride today so there was not a lot of separation between the riders. As we approached New Ulm, we held a pretty good pace line for the final 20 miles. It made the time and miles go by quickly.

Finally, we are learning to not leave our bicycles unattended. Earlier on in the ride, we found two bikes up in a tree at one of our campsites. Another day, we woke up to about four bikes that had been shrink wrapped and toilet papered. Tonight, we found a bicycle on top of the vending machines. The sad thing is the owner of the bike is not nearly tall enough to be able to get the bike down. All in good fun.

Tomorrow is a rest day here in New Ulm. It is a German town with a lot going on. This weekend is their annual Bavarian Blast. It is supposed to be a real great thing to go and see. I will probably ride my bike into town to check it out.

Thursday, July 17, 2008 – Day 25

2008-07-17T14:26:00.001-07:00

Start: De Smet, South Dakota
End: Tyler, Minnesota
Miles: 80.67 Total Miles: 1,877.79 BRAA Total Miles: 1,765.10
Time: 5 hours 11 minutes (avg 15.5 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 6

Yesterday, I was mentioning how wonderful the weather has been to us along the ride. Well, that all fell apart right as everyone was heading to bed last night. We began to hear thunder moving in and then the sheriff came by to let us know that a storm cell was on its way toward us and it was generating a lot of rain and wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour. So we waited and listened as the storm approached. Many of the riders started staking down their tents and getting their rain flies over their tents. I even packed up my stuff in my water resistant bag just in case water got in my tent. Eventually, the rain came. It was nothing to mention and there was very little wind associated with it. So, we thought we skirted by once again.

We began waking up at 5AM this morning. It was still dark outside, but on the horizon to the west, we could see lightning. A number of us hurried to pack up our tents and get our stuff loaded on the support truck because we knew what was coming. It came alright. Torrential downpours. Many of the riders were stuck packing up as the storm hit and they and their stuff unfortunately got wet. Some of the others never even came out of their tents and just waited the storm out. I was packed up and my stuff was on the truck and I was over at the church having breakfast when the storm hit. It rained for a little more than an hour. We eventually said it was time to hit the road and about a half dozen of us headed out. It was not too bad. The worst part was dealing with the wet dirt from road and the spray from the huge trucks as they zoomed past us.

The skies cleared up by about noon as we reached the Minnesota state line. State number 6!. It was sunny and bright and the H’s returned. I meant to tell about the four H’s yesterday, but forgot. The four H’s are Heat, Humidity, Hills and Headwinds. We had them all yesterday for the first time together and they returned again today. I am pretty sure they will remain with us for the rest of the trip.

Closer to our destination for the day were a bunch of windmills. These things were awe inspiring. I slowed down just to stare at them and their enormous size. Take a look at the picture with the building for comparison of just how big these are. Most of them were spinning away.

Tonight, we are going to the local pizza place for dinner. All you can eat buffet. This should fill most of us up for a couple of hours.

Tomorrow, we will head on to New Ulm, Minnesota and a well needed rest day.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008 – Day 24

2008-07-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

Start: Miller, South Dakota
End: De Smet, South Dakota
Miles: 85.91 Total Miles: 1,797.12 BRAA Total Miles: 1,686.70
Time: 5 hours 40 minutes (avg 15.1 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 6

We left camp this morning and it was pretty cool outside. We are starting to notice the changes in the weather now that we are east of the Missouri River. As we headed out on the road, we actually saw clouds for the first time. It looked like there was a little rain off in the distance. We still have not been rained on this entire trip. There was only the one day earlier on when we had some drizzle, but that has been it.

Along the side of the road, we ran across a turtle. It was a very ugly turtle as you can see from the picture. It was a big turtle – about one and a half feet long, but really ugly.

The most exciting part of the day for me was that it was Day 24! That is half way through the entire ride in days. Also, at about mile 40 today, we reached the official half way mark in miles for the ride. 1,650 miles completed and now that the ride is complete for the day, we have less than 1,650 miles to go.

When we arrived in De Smet, I realized that this town is the home town of Laura Ingals Wilder. I went and visited the area where their family home and their school house were. I also went to the cemetery where many of their family members have been laid to rest.

We are staying in the local park tonight and I like it. There are a lot of trees for shade, which helps it stay relatively cool. We just finished eating at a church down the street from the park. Delicious meal prepared by several people in the community. I am full and ready for a good night’s sleep.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008 – Day 23

2008-07-15T19:12:00.001-07:00

Start: Pierre, South Dakota
End: Miller, South Dakota
Miles: 74.62 Total Miles: 1,711.21 BRAA Total Miles: 1,610.00
Time: 5 hours 4 minute (avg 14.7 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 6

Leaving Pierre this morning was not too hard. That is once I started out in the right direction. I left the park area and turned left instead of turning right as the queue sheet called for. I realized pretty quickly that I was going the wrong way when I arrived at the bridge to cross the Missouri River again. This would have been wrong considering I came across the river on my way into town. So…bonus miles for me.

At our first support stop, the family of one of the riders, who is making the journey with us, provided cupcakes and M&Ms since today was the birthday for two riders. Happy birthday Janet and Chad.

The ride today was much like yesterday. Very flat and not a whole lot of scenery. I imagine tomorrow will be the same way. There was wheat fields to the left of me and corn fields to the right of me for as far as I could see. It is hard to believe that where I live, my neighbors are so close to me and yet out here, neighbors are miles apart. Towns are miles apart. We only rolled through five towns in 70+ miles. Amazing.

Toward the end of the ride, a couple of us had enough of the headwind and needed a break. We saw some hay rolls out in one of the fields and decided to give them a climb. We climbed up to the top and it was nice because there was a refreshing breeze. The only trouble was we had to pull the hay out of our clothes and shoes before moving on.

We arrived in town fairly early, but the support truck that carries our gear was still out supporting other riders. So, we had to wait around for about two hours before we could get our clothes and shower up before dinner. It wasn’t too bad, I just wanted to clean up after sweating and being sticky.

We are sleeping inside Miller High School tonight. I found a pretty nice spot on the auditorium stage. It may not look too comfortable, but I am sure I will be asleep in no time.

Monday, July 14, 2008 – Day 22

2008-07-14T18:47:00.001-07:00

Start: Kadoka, South Dakota
End: Pierre, South Dakota
Miles:95.64 Total Miles: 1,636.59 BRAA Total Miles: 1,537.10
Time: 6 hours 12 minute (avg 15.2 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 6

Today was real boring. A long ride with no scenery. Just long straight roads with what they called long rolling hills. They were long and they were rolling. Up and down…up and down. Here is a picture of what we were looking at all day long.

At the end of the ride today, we reached the Missouri River. Other than that, the day was uneventful. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a little more exciting.

Sunday, July 13, 2008 – Day 21

2008-07-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

Start: Rapid City, South Dakota
End: Kadoka, South Dakota
Miles: 103.17 Total Miles: 1,540.95 BRAA Total Miles: 1,441.60
Time: 6 hours 51 minute (avg 16.5 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 6

Today started fast. We were on an open relatively flat straight stretch of road. A few riders began a pace line and as they road by others, more joined in. The pace line grew to eighteen riders. All eighteen were riding very close and very fast. We were averaging between 25 and 30 miles per hour. We held the line together for about an hour and before we knew it, we had put in 30 miles. What a way to start the morning of a ride that was going to be over 100 miles.

A little later down the road, we came across some strange wildlife. Why this was out on someone’s property, I have no idea, but I had to take a picture.

We have a couple of riders that are from Nebraska and are big fans of their college and state. They had an issue with some of the spectators on the side of the road. I think it has something to do with Texas…

Next, we entered the Badlands that we have been hearing so much about. I think it wasn’t as bad as it could have been since the temperature was not as high as it could have been. We were there in the upper 80s. We were told the week before the temperature was 116. Thank goodness we came through when we did. The Badlands is a national park where there is pretty much nothing but these mountains that seem to come up from nowhere. There is no water to speak of and the mountains have a lot of wind erosion. They were awesome to see up close and in person.

Toward the end of the ride, there was a prairie dog farm I guess you would call it. You were able to go in and feed the prairie dogs. The funny thing about this is there were several signs back in the Badlands that warn people to stay away from the prairie dogs because they carry plague. I didn’t understand why there would be a place to actually feed them in the same general area.

Finally, I still wonder why these guys are always staring at me.

Saturday, July 12, 2008 – Day 20

2008-07-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

Rest Day: Rapid City, South Dakota
Miles: 0.00 Total Miles: 1,437.78 BRAA Total Miles: 1,339.90
Flat tire count today: 1 Total flat tires for the ride: 6

Today was a much needed rest day. The only problem was that we had plans to go see the monuments here in Rapid City so we wouldn’t get much rest.

We started out about noon and didn’t return until about 9PM. It was well worth the time even though it was a little longer than expected. We wanted to make the most of the sights since it would be quite some time before any of us returned to the area.

We drove out to Mt. Rushmore first. The drive itself was fantastic. Entering the Black Hills again allowed us to see more of this beautiful part of the country. As we entered the Mt. Rushmore area, we began to catch our first views of the monument. It was awesome, but it would get better once inside.

We spent a lot of time looking around and went on a guided tour given by one of the park rangers. He described reasons for the selections of each of the presidents as well as told us about the sculptor and the individual who had the idea for the monument.

The best thing about the monument was that every place we walked around offered a different view of the monument. I took so many pictures of profiles, individual shots of each president, and any others I thought were worth taking. Here is what I thought was the best of all of presidents together.

As we were leaving Mt. Rushmore, there was a small traffic jam. As we made our way through it, we found out why everyone was stopped. There were three goats having lunch on the side of a mountain by the side of the road.

Next, we headed to the Crazy Horse monument. When you see the monument, it takes your breath away. The size of it is enormous. It is the entire mountain. It is not finished yet and will likely take many more years to complete. It was started 60 years ago and as you can see from the picture, it only has the face complete and some work on the arm has been finished. For size
comparison, Mt. Rushmore would fit in about the same space as just the head of Crazy Horse. Also, the arm is approximately two football fields long. We are talking HUGE! I have added a photo of the monument as it looks now and a model of what it will eventually look like when it is complete.

We continued our trip and stopped at Sylvan Lake. It is a lake at the top of the Black Hills National Park. We walked around the area taking in all the beauty.

To round out our trip, we headed out looking for bison. Most people call them buffalo, but we learned that there are no buffalo in this country. They are in Asia. What we call buffalo here in the U.S. are really bison. As we were driving down the road, we were not sure we would see any and then we ran into another traffic jam. It was because the bison were doing their thing. They are in charge and move when and where they want to. They are huge and you don’t want to mess with them if you know what is best. Take a look at this guy in the middle of the road compared to the cars to the side and right behind him.

Also, I took this video so you can see these guys and hear what they sound like.

Friday, July 11, 2008 – Day 19

2008-07-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

Start: Newcastle, Wyoming
End: Rapid City, South Dakota
Miles: 82.68 Total Miles: 1,437.78 BRAA Total Miles: 1,339.90
Time: 7 hours 1 minute (avg 11.7 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 5

I had a great night’s sleep in the air conditioned senior center. The only things that tried to disturb me were the trains that kept going by and blowing their horns. It didn’t really disturb me since I was so tired.

We were all up and ready to go by about 6:45AM. As we headed out, we ran into a lot of morning commuter traffic. It really slowed us down. In reality, these are the only things we saw on the road as we headed out.

The big milestone for the day was reaching our fifth state – South Dakota. We made it to the state line really fast. It was eleven miles into the ride. It came so quick that a couple of riders actually missed the sign and had to come back to get their pictures.

We then headed into the Black Hills National Park. It was great how the scenery changed. The hills were still there, but now they were covered with trees everywhere. The smell of pine was all around. It smelled really fresh.

The next part of the route took us into the Custer State Park. This was the most awesome part of the day’s ride. We entered the park and immediately had an uphill climb, but the queue sheet told us that we would enjoy a long downhill. Once we reached the top of the climb, the elevation sign read 5,383 feet. It was now time for the downhill that we were promised. It went on for miles and it was beautiful.

Here is a video of the park and how peaceful it is. Hopefully, you can listen to the sound as well.

Here is a picture of some of the scenery. It was so quiet. I could have just stayed there for hours relaxing, but I had to keep moving on.

I did a little riding through the park as I took another short video. It was so nice.

As we entered the park and as our queue sheets warned us, we were supposed to be on the lookout for buffalo. They are dangerous if you get too close, so we were warned to stay back and not approach them. Well, I never saw one, but I did see this guy hanging around in the shade having a snack. Not a buffalo, but still happy to see.

After we left the park, we were so excited from the long enjoyable downhill that we thought nothing could ruin the day’s ride. Well, it was too good to be true. With eighteen miles to go, we made a left turn on to the final road that would take us into Rapid City. The unfortunate part was the wind was coming directly against us at that point. It was almost comical though. I couldn’t help but laugh at times because it was so ridiculous. The sustained wind was coming in our faces at 30 miles per hour with regular gusts of 50 miles per hour. The wind was not our friend today! While I was going up the small hills, I was averaging between 5 and 6 miles per hour and on the flat stretches, I was averaging about 7 or 8 miles per hour. If I stopped peddling, the wind would stop me immediately and actually push me backward. The last eighteen miles took about two and one half hours to finish. Normally, eighteen miles would have taken just over one hour.

Here is a video of the wind blowing. Check out the sound on this one. That is what I was hearing for two plus hours. It was mind numbing.

I am still out here - only I am in disguise. That is six days without shaving. I have been saving it for the rest day.

Tomorrow is a well needed rest day. We are planning to head over to Mount Rushmore to do the tourist thing.

Special Update!

2008-07-10T16:54:00.001-07:00

Hi Rachel. I miss you very much and can't wait to get home to see you, Joseph and your mom.

Thanks for reading the updates.

Love,
Dad

Thursday, July 10, 2008 – Day 18

2008-07-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

Start: Gillette, Wyoming
End: Newcastle, Wyoming
Miles: 81.36 Total Miles: 1,355.10 BRAA Total Miles: 1,259.00
Time: 5 hours 49 minute (avg 13.9 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 5

The night wasn’t as noisy as I had expected it to be. All the locals seemed to clear out by 11PM. I had a good rest, but as I got back on the bike this morning, I realized I still had not rested my body enough. My rear end was still sore from the eight plus hours in the saddle the day before. Oh well, I had to move forward.

Today’s ride was very uneventful. I realized this when I went to look at my pictures and there were only a few and they were nothing special.

Tomorrow, we head on to South Dakota - state number 5.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 – Day 17

2008-07-10T15:23:00.001-07:00

Start: Sheridan, Wyoming
End: Gillette, Wyoming
Miles: 119.04 Total Miles: 1,273.74 BRAA Total Miles: 1,183.20
Time: 8 hours 38 minute (avg 13.7 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 0 Total flat tires for the ride: 5

Another cold morning. It was in the mid 40s when we woke up and got started today. Brrrrr! It was ok with me because even though I had goose bumps, I knew it would get hot later on and the cold would be just a memory. It did warm up indeed. Into the mid 90s in the afternoon when we were just finishing up.

The ride was a long one today. It was the longest of the entire ride – 112 miles. It was listed as “long rolling hills”, but I believe one key word was left out. The word “up” needed to be inserted before “hills”. This is because I think we were continually going up. It felt as if there were no real down hills to offset the up hills. I know this is probably just in my mind because of the long hot day, but it certainly felt like we climbed about ten thousand feet.

As I was riding, I spotted a lone flower along the road. I just had to take a picture because it was beauty in the midst of really nothing else.

I kept seeing these boxes along the side of the road the last several days. They looked familiar and I finally remembered what they were. They are for bees and harvesting honey. I was surprised to see them out here, but I imagine they are there because they are good spots for attracting bees. There are a lot of these around. Not sure if they are from someone doing it privately.

As I was cruising down the road I spotted another attention grabber rustling around in the grass on the side of the road. It was a wild turkey just hanging out. It got a little nervous when I was
trying to take its picture, but eventually it stopped long enough for me to get one. I thought it was pretty strange to see a turkey along side the road just hanging out in the grass.

As an example of what we look at on the ride for hours at a time, I have posted a picture of a really long road. Look closely and you will see that it just keeps going. The funny thing is when we reach the end or the top of the hill, there is another extension of the road that looks strangely familiar. It just keeps going and going and going…

We road by a small town called Ucross earlier in the day that had a sign posted showing the population as 25. I thought wow, what a small town. Up the road though, I had to laugh when we stopped at a water stop next to a café in a town called Spotted Horse. There was a sign in the window of the café that listed the population as 2. I think that is the couple who own the café. That is all there was out on the route today for services.

Along side the road for miles and miles, I started to notice something very familiar. There were these yellow flowering plants that were on both sides of the road. It was really awesome when I stopped at the top of a hill and looked back to see the entire road going back as far as I could see was flanked on both sides by these yellow flowers. Look closely as the road winds back...you can see the yellow on both sides.

I saw this guy looking for some food. He was big and looking carefully for his next meal to pop out.

And then this guy stopped to pose for me. I am still wondering why most of the animals, especially the cows, stop what they are doing and just stare at me as I ride by.

Finally, we camped at a park in the town of Gillette, WY. It was a community center and a local hang out. There was a skateboard park that was in use late into the night and the parking lot seemed to be the place where the cars parked and people talked when they weren’t racing their cars up and down the street. The good thing is I was so tired from the long ride that when I put my head down, I was fast asleep.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008 – Day 16

2008-07-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

Start: Hardin, Montana
End: Sheridan, Wyoming
Today's Miles: 94.28 Total Miles: 1,154.70 BRAA Total Miles: 1,071.30
Time: 5 hours 54 minute (avg 15.9 MPH)
Flat tire count today: 1 Total flat tires for the ride: 5

This morning was a cold one. I woke up at about 3 AM and I was ready to break out my third blanket. I didn’t though. I just went back to sleep because I was too tired to dig it out of my bag. When we all got up around 5 AM to start packing up, many were wearing their warm gear to get the day started. I didn’t take my jacket since I was pretty sure it would warm up quickly and I didn’t want to have to carry it all day long. As I suspected, it warmed up nicely. It was a great riding day. Just the right temperature – not too hot and not too cold.

There were two milestones we reached today. The first came about 12 miles into the ride. We have officially logged 1,000 miles! My mile count is higher due to additional miles riding around the local areas, but the official total finally made it over the 1,000 mile mark. This has only taken us 13 riding days to accomplish and we are right on schedule now that we are one third of the way through the ride.

I have been talking to several people about Montana being so against Meth. There are billboards all over the place telling people to not try it – not even once. I wanted to show everyone what one of these signs looked like. As I was heading out of Montana, I saw this one painted on the side of a building. The picture states “Meth Means Death”. This is the slogan that was used on the billboards as well.

Right before heading out of Montana, we went through the Little Bighorn Battlefield. There was a park that had some small animal monuments and a larger one of The Mystic Warrior. There were a lot of American Indian related statues and other things to look at throughout the battlefield.

Our second milestone was reaching our fourth state – Wyoming. We are finally out of Montana. Montana is a beautiful state, but we were there nine nights and that was enough for me on this trip. We will be staying three nights in Wyoming, which I am sure will go by real fast.

I did get another flat today. That makes five total for the trip. Tony stopped to make sure I had everything I needed to fix it. We then rode the rest of the day together. I am sure I slowed him down at times, but overall we seemed to do pretty well together. Especially through most of Wyoming. We were cruising pretty fast – averaging about 25 MPH for about 15 miles. Here is a cool picture of Tony riding toward what looks like a never ending journey.

Monday, July 7, 2008 – Day 15

2008-07-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Start: Billings, Montana
End: Hardin, Montana
Miles: 57.29 Total Miles: 1,060.42
Time: 3 hours 32 minute (avg 16.2 MPH)

We had a really short day today. The official queue sheet had the ride just under 53 miles for the day. I backtracked a little for a picture and rode around the town a little which added some extra miles.

We headed out of Billings a little later than usual since the ride was so short and there was no rush to get on the road. The ride only took about three and a half hours. The air was pretty cool with a nice tail wind, which helped push us even faster.

Just outside of Billings, before we started our first climb, a group of us stopped to check out a snake that was warming itself in the middle of the road. So far, all we have seen are dead snakes that had been sunning themselves too much and became road kill. This guy was alive and well. As we were taking our photos, a couple of cars tried to get by. They probably thought that us tourists were really strange taking pictures of some snake in the middle of the street. We ended up getting the snake to move off the road and then the cars passed and we continued on. Another group of riders ran into a rattle snake later in the day.

As I was riding along, I was reminded that today was Monday and back at work there are plenty of meetings going on. What reminded me of this out in the wilderness? Well, there was a group of horses gathering in the field. Seeing them hanging around was so much like a group of co-workers preparing to start a meeting. Just hanging out talking about how their weekends were and what they did.

Some of the scenery was outstanding today. There were cliffs or bluffs all around the road. They were really cool to see and ponder how they were formed. I took several pictures of these cliffs, but this one was the best.

As I got closer to our destination, There was a sign announcing we were entering a different county. I looked at the sign and didn’t think much of it at first. I had to stop though and turn around for a picture of the county sign that really summed up Montana for me. I guess out in the middle of nowhere, there is no shooting range, but the locals need to practice their skills so they use the signs. I took one of the front so you can get an idea, but also of the back because that really shows the results.

At our last support stop for the day, the queue sheet described the location as the lone cottonwood. As I approached the area, I immediately understood. All around there was not a tree to be seen, but at the stop, there was this lone cottonwood tree. Strange to see it all alone out in the middle of fields and fields. It pretty much represents how I feel out on the road at times. A lone bicycle out in the middle of nowhere. It is amazing at times.

Sunday, July 6, 2008 – Day 14

2008-07-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

Rest Day: Billings, Montana
Miles: 0.00 Total Miles: 1,003.13

Third rest day today – only five more left. That means the days in between rest days will start to increase. We spent our day off in Billings, Montana at the Montana State University dorm rooms. I went downtown to see what was going on, but since it was the Fourth of July weekend, things were pretty quiet.

Tomorrow will be a short ride of a little over 50 miles into Hardin, Montana. From what I understand, the ride will be short because to make it to the next stop would have been well over 100 miles and that was a little too far to go.

Saturday, July 5, 2008 – Day 13

2008-07-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

Start: Harlowton, Montana
End: Billings, Montana
Miles: 95.54 Total Miles: 1,003.13
Time: 5 hours 54 minute (avg 16.6 MPH)

After the little sleep over the last two nights, today’s ride was great. We had a tailwind almost all day long. For the first half of the day it was flat and with the tailwind, I was averaging around 20 MPH.

There wasn’t a lot of scenery that I took pictures of since I was cruising along so quickly and didn’t want to stop.

I did take a picture of some sheep with some neat background. The rock formations were beautiful.

There was also a grain silo along the way that our queue sheet pointed out is the grain silo that can be seen forever. I spotted it about four miles out and realized what it was as soon as I reached it. It wasn’t really that big, but since the road that it is on is so long and straight, you can see for miles. The queue sheet actually pointed out the point when the road actually begins to turn because it is so many miles without any turns whatsoever.

We finished off the night with a great dinner of steak, fish and multiple pastas. It was delicious. Tomorrow is a rest day here in Billings, so I will do a little sight seeing and take care of the necessary things that have to be done to stay organized.

As I was writing this post, a storm blew in with thunder. I went over to check it out and this is what I saw. A wonderful ending to a pretty nice day.

Friday, July 4, 2008 – Day 12

2008-07-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

Start: Townsend, Montana
End: Harlowton, Montana
Miles: 108.66 Total Miles: 907.59
Time: 8 hours 36 minute (avg 12.6 MPH)

Today was a really long day. First of all it was long due to the fact that I did not get much sleep from the night before. Just as I was nodding off, we were told to evacuate the camping area and go inside the school building that we were staying. There were two storm cells that were converging right over us. The sky was lighting up and the rain was just starting. So, we all went inside and watched the storm. It was a big storm and the worst part was several tents were flooded and a few were even broken from the winds. After the storm passed, I attempted to go back to sleep since my tent was as dry as could be. It was tough to sleep because the storms continued with a lot of rain, lightning and wind, just not as powerful as the first one. So, needless to say, I was not very well rested for the 100+ mile day ahead.

The ride started immediately with a long climb. For the day, we climbed just over 4,000 feet. That averages about 40 feet for every mile that we rode. Once we finished the big climb out of Townsend, I looked back to say my final goodbye to the Rocky Mountains. That was quite an accomplishment to make it over those even though we went over the smaller part of the range.

I saw a bunch of antelope along the way. They were hanging out in the field just off the side of the road grazing. I took this picture just prior to them seeing I was there and taking off.

Not too far down the road, I saw what reminded me of Day 3 leaving Vantage, Washington. I am sure something like this inspired the Wild Horses Monument. These were real horses. I am not sure if they were wild or not, but they were walking around on the top of the hills.

My day became a little troubling during the second half of the ride. I rode ahead of the support vehicles and therefore was unsupported from mile 40 to the end of the ride. That was 60+ miles without a vehicle providing water. In the heat and with the long ride, this was not a good thing. About mile 70 I realized I needed to find some water since I was getting low. I ended up going to three houses along the route to knock on doors to ask to use their hoses. No one was home. Maybe they were gone due to it being the 4^th of July. There were five ATVs that came riding down the road at about mile 75. I stopped them and asked them where I could find some water. They offered me a small water bottle that would tide me over until I could find more. What a blessing. I kept riding looking for some houses that looked occupied and finally came to a town called TwoDot. It was actually off the route but I needed to get some water and the town had a bar so I figured I could pick up some water there. Success! I was able to get enough water to get me to the end of the ride.

Once everyone arrived at camp, some of the riders participated in a hot dog eating contest. It was pretty disgusting. I took this picture prior to the really gross part of the contest. There were hot dogs and the associated mess everywhere. The winner was the first to finish six hot dogs.

The night ended with a firework show like no other I have seen. Everyone here in Montana is able to purchase fireworks like those that you would only see at a professional firework show. The campground we were staying at was the place many of them came to set them off. There were personal shows all around. They went on until about 11PM. I then went to sleep. At least until the storms blew in once again. The wind was the noisy part of the storm, but it didn’t keep me up too long. So, another night with little sleep. I am looking forward to getting to Billings tomorrow and a rest day.

One last photo. This is one of me in my camper hat.

Thursday, July 3, 2008 – Day 11

2008-07-03T14:58:00.001-07:00

Start: Avon, Montana
End: Townsend, Montana
Miles: 66.08 Total Miles: 798.93
Time: 5 hours 1 minute (avg 13.1 MPH)

When we woke up this morning, the temperature was in the 40s. That was a change since we were starting to get use to the warmer temperatures. We knew it would be even colder at the top of the McDonald Pass, so we had to dress appropriately. It was a good thing that many did not send home their cold weather gear as planned in Missoula.

As we left the campground, I saw a cow with her baby calf along the side of the road that was real cute. It is funny how all the cows along the way stop what they are doing as I ride by and stare at me. It is as if they are wondering why I am riding a bicycle for so long and so far. I guess they are smarter than I am because I am thinking the same thing, but they are smart enough to continue eating, hanging out and being content where they are.

The incline up to the Pass began immediately after we left the camp. It was gradual to begin with, but our queue sheets let us know that the climb would get much steeper. The incline changed dramatically and we had 4 miles to go to the top. It was very steep, but the payoff at the top of the pass was worth it.

At the top, I had to take my picture with the sign showing the altitude. This pass doesn’t have a sign showing the Continental Divide, but it was the highest point that we will ride over along the entire ride.

We also went the extra mile to go up an access road to get a better view. From this area, we had
an unobstructed 360 degree view of all the area around us. It was fantastic. I took a video that I will post at the next stop that has faster Internet access. Here are some pictures of me and my
bike at the top. Boy do I need to shave!

Also at the top of this access road, was a transmission tower of some sort. While I was up there, some of the more daring riders decided to climb the tower. Oh my! That was really high.

After our fun at the top of the pass, it was time for the real excitement. The 6 mile downhill. There were warnings for trucks to go 25 MPH because of the twists and turns as well as the very steep grade. It was fast and thrilling to top out at close to 40 MPH on my way down. I probably could have gone faster, but there was a slight headwind and I had on my jacket that was flapping in the wind slowing me down.

After the Rockies were in my rear view mirror, there was still
about 40 miles to go for the day’s ride. It was pretty uneventful especially after that downhill. But I did see a deer and its baby playing in the field on the side of the road.

Finally, I wanted to let everyone know that we were and will continue riding along the Lewis and Clark Trail. It is interesting to think back to when they traveled this route without all the amenities that we have today. We think it is tough riding our bikes all this way, but they did it on foot with all their animals and gear in tow. I took a picture of the sign that designates the trail and then thought this one was better. It shows how times have changed since Lewis and Clark made their journey.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008 – Day 10

2008-07-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

Start: Missoula, Montana
End: Avon, Montana
Miles: 104.29 Total Miles: 732.85
Time: 7 hours 21 minutes (avg 14.1 MPH)

We had rain last night in Missoula. So this morning was a wet and cloudy start. Heading out of town, the clouds were so low they were covering the mountain tops. It was cool to see them so low, but this also meant that we would have weather to deal with at least during the beginning of the ride.

As we began the long climb for the day into the Rocky Mountains, the drizzle started. The road was pretty wet. I have been hoping for a flat day for one of the upcoming rides and I was rewarded today. The only problem was it wasn’t the kind of “flat” I was looking for. I experienced my first flat tire today. I am pleased that it actually took this long into the ride to get my first flat and it was a quick change due to all the practice I have had on the Northern Virginia roads. The sad thing was that there were quite a few people that got flats today. I think there was around ten or so. It was mainly attributed to all the road debris sticking to our tires due to the wet road surface.

Along the ride today, I found the answer to how that big wagon in Spokane can be pulled. There was a really big cow at a convenience store we had one of our stops at.

The total ride today was just over 100 miles, so we logged our second century. Actually, the ride was just a little less than 100 miles, but some of the riders added a few miles to go over the century mark. It was a beautiful ride with a mixture of weather. It was cloudy, then drizzly, then rainy for a little bit. About three quarters through the day, the sun came out and I had to break out the sun screen. Overall, it was a much cooler day than the ride into Missoula. Much more comfortable and easier to ride.

Dinner tonight was fantastic. It was catered by a local restaurant that is known for their pies. We had pasta, bread, vegetables and fruit. Then we topped it off with an assortment of pie slices. It was delicious!

Tomorrow morning will start with an 11 mile climb to McDonald Pass, which is our way over the Continental Divide. From what I hear, the climb up is tough, but the reward on the other side is well worth it. A huge downhill ride that I am sure we will all enjoy. Note to Rachel Anne...I won't be stopping at the top of the mountain.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008 – Day 9

2008-07-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Rest Day: Missoula, Montana
Miles: 0.00 Total Miles: 628.56

Today was our second rest day. We spent it in Missoula, Montana at the University of Montana in dorm rooms. The day started with getting things organized for our next few days of riding. It is amazing how quickly our bags get disorganized when we are living out of a tent and are on the go constantly. So, we take this down time to get things a little organized. Then it was off to do laundry.

Around noon, I decided to hike Mount Sentinel. This is the mountain that you see the big M on when you are coming into Missoula. A little history behind the M was on a sign at the base of the mountain.

If you look closely at this picture, you will be able to see the switchback trail that leads up to the M. The M is located 620 feet above Missoula and once you get to the M, it is huge. It is made of concrete and is 125 feet long and 100 feet wide.

Once at the top, the view is incredible. You can see the entire city of Missoula. It was a great hike. There were clouds blocking the direct sunlight most of the way up, which was nice. There were a lot of people on the trail and I was impressed that quite a few people use the trail as their morning training run. During my time on the trail, there was one person that ran up and down three times.

Tomorrow, we begin our climb into the Rockies. From looking at the map, it looks like we will cross over McDonald Pass on Thursday. The elevation is approximately 6,300 feet. Oh boy! The bright side is the downhill on the other side.

Monday, June 30, 2008 – Day 8

2008-06-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Start: Thompson Falls, Montana
End: Missoula, Montana
Miles: 109.93 Total Miles: 628.56
Time: 8 hours 9 minutes (avg 13.4 MPH)

Our first century of the ride. We had a cool morning start, but about half way through the day, it started heating up. At the top of a 4.5 mile climb during what had to be the hottest point of the day, I took this picture at a water stop.

I thought this was a great picture. I stopped to take a picture of these two and the baby immediately ran around the backside of the mother. I waited until the mother finally moved so that I could take the picture.

The only other thing that caught my interest during the day was the fact that there are so many casinos in the state. This sign pretty much sums it up. You can stop and get gas for your car, some snacks for yourself, then to the ATM for money to hit the casino. A true one-stop takes care of it all.

Tomorrow is a rest day here in Missoula. There are a couple of things to do in the area if the weather is nice. Should be a good day other than the necessary things like laundry and bike cleaning.

Sunday, June 29, 2008 – Day 7

2008-06-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Start: Sandpoint, Idaho
End: Thompson Falls, Montana
Miles: 95.87 Total Miles: 518.63
Time: 7 hours 9 minutes (avg 13.3 MPH)

For those of you who have the weekends off and haven’t looked at what has been going on since Friday, we have traveled through three different states. Washington, Idaho and now we are in Montana. It was great to enter a new state, but we won’t be seeing any new “welcome to” signs any time soon. We will be in Montana for the next nine days.

We left Idaho pretty much the same way we entered it. There was a lot of beautiful scenery to see and we spent the entire day next to Pend Orielle Lake. It is an enormous lake that seemed to span the entire state of Idaho – at least the upper pan handle.

We reached Montana a little before half way through the day’s ride. That is when the day started to heat up. There are a lot of nice landscape pictures, but here was my favorite.

The temperature reached 100+ degrees today as we got closer to our stop for the day. About six miles outside Thompson Falls, I stopped to cool off my feet. Boy, did that feel refreshing to my hot feet. It was nice to take those steamy shoes off for fifteen minutes. It was hard to put them back on.

Here is what I looked like as I got close to town. I guess this is kind of proof that I am riding this ride. Hot, sweaty and sunburned.

Tomorrow, we head out on our first century ride (100+ miles). It is supposed to be a little cooler. We will see. After the ride we will spend our next rest day in Missoula, Montana.

Finally, I wanted to show you a quick video of what it is like riding on the open road. This is from Day Three leaving Vantage, Washington going up Interstate 90.

Saturday, June 28, 2008 – Day 6

2008-06-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

Start: Spokane, Washington
End: Sandpoint, Idaho
Miles: 80.25 Total Miles: 422.75
Time: 5 hours 55 minutes (avg 13.5 MPH)

We left our comfortable resting day spot of Spokane right after breakfast this morning. We started out on the Centennial Trail.

Oh where, oh where is Market Street?

After we left the trail, we went through an industrial area. We came to a detour that our directions did account for. The only problem was the streets were not marked with street signs. We were supposed to make a right turn on Market Street but there was no sign. So, most of the group kept going straight. They accumulated what is known as “bonus miles” – extra miles due to getting lost. I broke the stereotype for males when I didn’t want to get lost. I stopped and asked what the name of the street was. Sure enough, it was Market. By that time, the others were out of sight down the wrong road. They figured it out and were quickly back on track.

One of the previous riders was telling a story before the ride began several months ago about making sure we enjoy the ride. He made sure we understood that it is not a race and we need to slow down and see the scenery. The story mentioned one rider who was always real fast and was the first to arrive at camp each day. One day when he was bragging about how quick he arrived, someone asked him if he saw the giraffe along the side of the road. I thought this was just a way of letting us know to slow down until I saw the giraffe myself.

I wanted everyone out there to also see some of these crazy roads that we have to ride. When I see these, I have to just take them nice and easy or else I will get discouraged.

We had the privilege of seeing a parade this afternoon in Newport, Washington. It was quite a show and I think the entire town was out watching. It was called the rodeo parade. They had all kinds of vehicles driving down the road.

Right before entering Newport, I came across this sign on the side of the road. It is for any of you Big Riders who need a little relaxation. Given the fact that we will be gone the next day, I don’t think it will be of any use.

The best news of the day was that we made it to our second state. We are now in Idaho.

The coolest thing about Idaho so far is they have special poles set up for Bald Eagles to nest in. I will post pictures of the pole and an up close picture of an eagle in the nest tomorrow.

Tomorrow we head to our third state – Montana and the Mountain Time Zone.

Friday, June 27, 2008 – Day 5

2008-06-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

Rest Day: Spokane, Washington
Miles: 5.52 Total Miles: 348.02

Our first rest day was our firs rest day and we spent it in Spokane. We spent the day in a dorm at Gonzaga University. I spent the day bike cleaning, doing laundry and walking and bike riding around downtown Spokane.

We were here at the same time as the Spokane Hoopfest. From what I understand, Hoopfest is a basketball tournament consisting of a series of three on three matches. It is huge here. All the businesses participate and have Hoopfest themes going on.

Spokane was the home of the 1974 World’s Fair. The downtown area has a park that was developed for the fair and still attracts people today. It is where the majority of the Hoopfest activities are centered. As I walked around the area, I was noticing that the streets were being prepared for the activities tomorrow (Saturday). All the parking along the sides of the streets was being marked as no parking so that they can set up all the temporary basketball hoops.

There were hundreds of these basketball hoops all over the place ready to be set up and used. I bet this place will be jumping tomorrow – literally.

For those of you who know my wife Lisa, know that she loves walking and pulling her wagon, usually with our daughter Rachel in it. Well, since Rachel is growing and once I am done with this ride, I think Lisa will need a new wagon to pull us both around in. I found it here. Take a close look at the people next to the rear wheel to get a feel for the size of this wagon.

I also wanted to show a picture of the Spokane River which runs right through downtown and by the park net to a really nice bike trail. This is Spokane Falls.

Another friend report. When I was looking at the river, a little guy came right up to me looking for food. He actually stood up and posed for me.

Tomorrow morning we pack up and head out to Sandpoint, Idaho, the second state of the many we will visit. How exciting to finally make it to the next state. Weather report says it is going to get gradually hotter. Oh boy…be prepared to stay hydrated.

Thursday, June 26, 2008 – Day 4

2008-06-26T18:17:00.001-07:00

Start: Odessa, Washington
End: Spokane, Washington
Miles: 81.99 Total Miles: 342.50
Time: 5 hours 24 minutes (avg 15.1 MPH)

Today, the wind was our friend.

After a wonderful breakfast provided by the great people at Odessa High School, we loaded up the truck and were on our way to Spokane.

I didn’t hear a weather report before leaving, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was a mild morning and I like that for riding. The first town we reached was called Harrington. Not a lot going on there so I continued on. Shortly after leaving Harrington, I met a friend. He was watching me as I was riding by so I stopped to say hi.

After leaving my friend, I rode a bit more until I just wanted to stop and take in all the beauty around me. As I was resting on the side of the road, the silence was broken by a couple of riders coming up the hill.

I also wanted to show what we still had ahead of us on this stretch of the road.

The next town was Davenport. It was a neat little place. We then had to take on a 9 mile gradual climb. It was not something I was looking forward to, but it had to be done. Once I started up the hill, I realized I had the wind on my side. There was a tail wind that pushed us all the way up the hill. 9 miles uphill at between 17 and 20 miles per hour is just fine with me.

After the long climb, we entered Reardon. Another small town. We stopped at the local library for a water bottle refill. I thought it was funny that the library didn’t open until 5pm. Where I am from, the libraries are open all day long.

Further up the road, after a short detour due to a motor home fire on our route, I stopped to give an idea of what we are looking at for most of the day.

This is what looks like up close.

If you turn and look across the road, this is a good example of many of today’s miles.

I reached a sign that said Spokane County and it was amazing how the scenery changed. Instantly there were pine trees all around. That is what has amazed me most…the way the landscape changes from one area to the next and how fast it does so.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - Day 3

2008-06-25T20:11:00.001-07:00

Start: Vantage, Washington
End: Odessa, Washington
Miles: 87.47 Total Miles: 260.51
Time: 6 hours 56 minutes (avg 12.6 MPH)

After finishing my writing yesterday, we had a great catered dinner by the local restaurant. They also served us breakfast this morning. Thanks Blustery’s!

After dinner, the wind that we were warned about started. As the hot day cools off, the wind comes down the river fast and strong. I think it must have been blowing 30-40 miles per hour and even harder gusts until about 1am. It wasn’t bad in my tent though. It is small and low profile so the wind rushes right past it. We were warned to stake our tents well so that we didn’t have to chase them. Now I understand why.

The ride started right after breakfast. We all stayed together to be escorted over the bridge that took us across the Columbia River. The support vehicles blocked one lane of traffic so that we could get across safely since there is no shoulder for bikes to ride on. Once we were across, the first of many hills took us out of the Columbia River Valley.

At the top, was the Wild Horses monument.

Rocky Road or Vanilla? One of our support stops this afternoon was a nice surprise. We were served ice cream cones. They were refreshing and delicious. Then, a little down the road, I saw several dust twisters. They were pretty big. I tried to catch one to take a picture, but it crossed the road and disappeared. They were neat to see as long as they were small and not tornadoes mixed with storms.

That was pretty much the exciting part of the day. There was a lot of rolling hills with a whole lot of farmland. The farmers grow wheat, corn, alfalfa, beans and a few fruit trees. Everything has to be irrigated constantly due to the dryness of the area. The only towns/cities we rode through were George, Washington (how appropriate) and Ephrata, Washington.

The day was a warm one. It is in the mid 80s and we were supposed to have a tailwind, but I never felt it. Most of the day seemed like I had a headwind right in my face. I spent most of the day riding alone. I needed some time to appreciate the surroundings. At one point, I even got off my bike and walked about 1 mile while I ate my PB&J sandwich. I wanted to keep going but also wanted to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the area. It was so quiet. The only thing that disrupted the ride today was the large trucks transporting either wheat or alfalfa. They were all going the opposite way, but when they passed, I was blasted with bits and pieces of whatever they were carrying. I even saw one bushel that had fallen off a truck and made its way across the road to my side. It was really big and left an impression in the ground where it came to a stop. I sure am glad that I wasn’t there when it came flying across.

We finished the ride for the day at the Odessa high school. We set up camp on the field out back. It is just like being back in high school. We took showers in the gym (no privacy whatsoever). My comment about public bathrooms...oh my. Right out in the open for all to enjoy. We will be eating in the cafeteria for dinner and breakfast tomorrow morning. Understand, I am in no way complaining. A warm shower and a meal is fantastic after a long day’s ride.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - Day 2

2008-06-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 24, 2008 – Day 2
Start: Easton, Washington
End: Vantage, Washington
Miles: 77.35 Total Miles: 173.04
Time: 4 hours 51 minutes (avg 15.9 MPH)

Last night was a cold one in the tent. I did not bring a sleeping bag since I didn’t think I would use it much after the first couple of days. It wasn’t too bad because I did bring several blankets to keep warm. The morning began at 5am with the zipper alarms (people unzipping their tent doorways). It actually started with someone making a rooster call.

We packed up our tents and gear and had a brief breakfast. Then we were off. It was a brisk ride for the first 50 miles or so while we were leaving the Cascade Mountains. Once we were out, the weather instantly changed. In the grasslands, it was a lot dryer and by the time we made it to the long climb, the temperature really went up.

The long climb was truly long. 15 miles to be exact. Every corner that we turned was another hill. We were promised that at the top of the hill we would receive a reward. We did! It was the biggest downhill I have ever experienced. Just over 11 miles right to our campground. For most of the 11 miles, I was going over 40 miles per hour. That made the hill worth climbing.

Every so many miles, I stopped to look back and take a picture of the Cascades as we left them. What a sight to see.

The main towns/cities we went through were Cle Elum and Ellensburg and then ended in Vantage. One of the riders also had a minor accident. I did not see what happened, but heard that they braked a little too hard on a fast downhill and ended up going over the handlebars. Everything is ok. A little sore, but only scrapes and bruises.

We arrived early at camp in Vantage right next to the Columbia River. It will be a peaceful night’s sleep. That is good since, as I am typing this, I am looking across the river at the hill we have to climb to get the day started tomorrow.

Finally, thanks to Jim for riding with me today. He kept me going up that long hill.

This is what it looks like when the truck carring our gear is unloaded prior to everyone arriving.

Monday, June 23, 2008 - Day 1

2008-06-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

Start: University of Washington
End: Easton, Washington
Daily Miles: 95.69 - Total Miles 95.69
Time: 7 hours 1 minute (avg. 13.6 MPH)

Woke up real early this morning at about 4am. Hard to sleep thinking about the day ahead. Excitement, but apprehension. It is going to be great

.
Well, that was my thought prior to going over Snoqualmie Pass. OH MY!
We had a 23 mile ride on a flat commuter path. I think that was to fool us into thinking this was going to be easy. It worked. We had a water and snack stop at mile 23. Then the "fun" began. We had a climb that stretched 52 miles! The climb stopped at Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains. Then we had a fairly flat 20 mile ride to Easton, Washington where our camp is located.
All in all, it was a great first day. When I was a kid and my mother told me to go play on the freeway, I bet she never imagined I would actually do it. We rode a number of miles on Interstate 90 and it was loud and busy, but we survived.
I was going to try to ride in a velodrome that was along the way, but I watched one of the riders give it a try and almost fell when the steep turn came. I didn't want to chance it, so we continued on.
The highlight of the day was the Cascade Mountains. They were so beautiful. I almost forgot that I had to ride through them. We came to a location called Snoqualmie Falls. It was a spectacular waterfall. Very cool to see. After that it was more climbing.

I am glad Day 1 is over.

The Day Before

2008-06-22T19:07:00.001-07:00

I spent the last day and a half in Bellingham, Washington visiting my folks. It was a wonderful visit seeing for the first time where they live and meeting some of their neighbors.
I want to thank them for transporting me all around. From the airport to their house and then back to the University of Washington. I really appreciate the support.

Funny note - as prepared as I am, I blew it big time. After being dropped off at the university, I was running through the next day and what I need to remember to have ready. Well, my heart dropped when I realized I didn't have my bike shoes. Ooops. They were still in Bellingham. Oh well, I was able to catch a ride to the bicycle shop before they closed and pick up another pair. Crisis averted.

The day starts bright and early tomorrow and I can't wait.

On My Way to Seattle

2008-06-20T06:31:00.001-07:00

I am leaving for Seattle today. Tomorrow will be spent reassembling my bike and making sure it is all in proper working order. Ride starts on Monday. The excitement is building!

Haircut for the Ride

2008-06-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may not see me before I take off, I wanted you to see me witn my hair cut really short for the ride.

Ride Starts in 7 Days

2008-06-16T04:30:00.000-07:00

Bike is in Seattle. I am packed and ready to fly out this Friday. The excitement is building.

One Week Until I Depart for Seattle

2008-06-13T04:22:00.001-07:00

With one week to go, I am getting very excited. The bike has arrived in Seattle. I am going to finish packing this weekend. I will be ready to go. The last couple of weeks have gotten me thinking about what it will be like. There are only a couple of concerns at this point and they are pretty silly. The first is that I will be sleeping in a tent for seven weeks. I am not a camper by any stretch of the imagination. My biggest camping and living in a tent trip was two nights. This is going to be seven weeks! The other thought that is going around in my head is that I will have to use public restrooms for seven weeks. I know that is kind of weird to be thinking about at a time like this, but that is about all that I am tossing around in my head. I know after a couple of days, those won't even be issues because I will be having fun enjoying the ride and the beautiful experience. I can't wait!

Whoa...Less than Two Weeks to Go!

2008-06-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

Only 13 days to go now and word was it is snowing in the Snoqualmie Pass today. Hard to believe since it is just under 100 degrees here in Northern Virginia today.

Bicycle Shipping Out Today

2008-06-05T07:58:00.001-07:00

The bike is boxed up and will be on its way to Seattle, Washington today. It is sad to see it all taken apart and in a box, but I know that I will be ready to hop back on it in a couple of weeks for the ride.

1,016 for May and Only 20 Days To Go

2008-06-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

Finished up May with just a little over 1,000 miles. I only have 20 days until the start of the Big Ride. Hard to imagine that three weeks from today I will be somewhere in the Cascade Mountains riding my bike.

One Month to Go...

2008-05-23T10:35:00.001-07:00

Only one month left before I start riding. June 23 is right around the corner - 31 days.

My Bicycle

2008-05-18T05:04:00.001-07:00

This is what I will be riding across the United States.

Thank You Everyone!

2008-05-09T07:39:00.001-07:00

With all of your support, my goal of $6,500 has been reached. As of today, we have raised $6,530 for the American Lung Association. I will continue to accept donations until I head out on the ride. Thank you all very much. I never imagined this was possible.

Another 1,000 Miles

2008-05-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

Another 1,001 miles under the tires for the month of April. Only 53 days left until the Big Ride begins. Then the real miles will start adding up.

60 DAYS TO GO!

2008-04-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

The ride starts in 60 days. I heard it was snowing in Seattle this week.

2008-04-21T11:26:00.001-07:00

I have a new set of wheels now and feel much better about the big ride. I did some research and found that I was probably due for a new set of wheels. I had about 15,000 miles on the old wheels and they had been ridden pretty hard. I am very happy that this happened prior to my journey.

Blow Out

2008-04-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

After a nice ride on Sunday afternoon - even though it was a little cold, I hung my bike back in its resting space. About an hour later, I heard a loud bang. I figured the tube popped and it was no big deal, but when I went and looked, the whole side of my wheel had been blown out! So I have to pick up a new rim now. Bummer.

Rainy Day

2008-04-06T15:51:00.001-07:00

Today was a pretty rainy day. I ended up riding on my inside trainer. I rode 80 miles. With June 23 right around the corner, I think I am ready to go.

March Miles

2008-03-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

With March over, I completed 1,059 miles for the month. Only 84 days to go until I start the big ride. Plane arrangements have been made and I have almost all my gear. It will be here soon.

3 Months and Counting Down

2008-03-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Less than 3 months until I head out to Seattle, Washington to start my big ride. It is definitely getting closer.

Spring is here

2008-03-21T04:35:00.000-07:00

Now that spring has arrived, the weather will be getting warmer and that means more bicycle riding. It also means the countdown to the Big Ride is getting closer. As of this Sunday, there are only three months to go. I have raised $3,000 so far! Thanks to everyone for their support.

Two great rides

2008-03-11T17:22:00.001-07:00

I have gone on two great rides in the past two days now that my bike is all set up and clean. It is almost like new again.

Bicycle is almost ready to go

2008-03-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

I spent the day yesterday (Saturday, March 8) working on getting my bicycle all geared up. Now I have to start riding with the new gear to make sure I am comfortable with it. I put new skinnier tires, new odometer, lights, chain, brakes and handlebar pack. I also cleaned all the grease and dirt that has accumulated over the past year. It is shiny and ready to ride.

2008-02-29T09:50:00.000-08:00

The month of February ends today. Total mileage for the month is 990.5 miles. I know...10 more miles would have been 1,000 - but I just couldn't get the other 10 miles in.

Big Ride Donation Location

2008-02-26T16:41:00.000-08:00

Here is the site where you can sponsor my ride with a donation to the American Lung Association.

https://www.mrsnv.com/evt/e01/part.jsp?id=1410&acct=4903092062&rid=0

I appreciate your support.