Two Girls, 4 Wheels

Days 59 & 60 – Lolo Pass & the Lochsa River

2009-08-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

Aug 18
Missoula, MT to Powell, ID
60 miles

Aug 19
Powell, ID to Kamiah, ID
96 miles

We were reluctant to leave Missoula, and despite the long day ahead of us, we lingered for a while in a coffee shop loading up on caffeine and watching bikes come and go. Then it was off to Good Food (Missoula’s answer to Whole Foods) to load up on provisions. Thirteen miles out of Missoula we finally ran into the Dutch Couple who we had been hearing about for a couple of weeks. We were both headed towards the major climb of the day over Lolo Pass and, after a brief chat, they rode off with us just behind. That was, until K spotted a tack store and made a beeline across the busy highway towards it. Our last day in Montana and that girl wanted a big silver belt buckle to take home. She also came across a pair of used cowboy boots that were too good a deal to pass up. Even though she had mailed home everything she didn’t absolutely need and had streamlined her load to two panniers, she liked these boots so much that she was willing to strap them onto the back of her bike to get them back to Seattle. Luckily, the shop proprietor offered to mail them to us. All errands and diversions completed, we moved on to attack the pass. From the west, the grade is very gradual and after several hours of steady climbing, we reached the summit. As our reward, we gained an hour as we crossed the border into our final state before Washington. We felt a mix of amazement, joy, and sadness, knowing that we were almost done with our trip. A quick 13-mile descent and we were at Powell Campground, our evening’s destination. The Dutch Couple (we never did learn their names) were two sites down from us. After a lovely, yet small, meal of Tasty Bites Lentil Curry, we retreated to the tent and were asleep before dark.

We woke up ravenous after our tiny bite dinner and zipped up to the Lochsa Lodge for delicious plate-size huckleberry hotcakes. Fueled and loaded up, we set off to finish the descent along the stunning Lochsa, a wild and scenic river. Almost the entire day’s route paralleled the Lochsa which twists and turns its way down the pass. Construction on the road slowed traffic which passed in small, but manageable, waves along the narrow roadway. The day heated up to 98 degrees and word was it would be even hotter the following day so we decided to ride on for our Transam high of 96 miles. Just as K was flagging in the heat and scanning the river for a sweet swimming spot, she saw a huge black bear with the same idea. After swimming (or fishing), the bear idled along the shore under the shade of a pine tree. A few miles down the road, and late in the afternoon, we met Sarah and Cameron, two eastbounders who were only 15 miles into their day’s ride. They had spent the day socializing in Kamiah, (“Everyone is so NICE there”), and had just stopped for a swim in the river. We envied their relaxed approach to touring and wished we had the flexibility to idle the day away if we chose to. But on we went to finish out the epic day, rolling into the Lewis & Clark Resort & RV Park just outside of Kamiah and just short of a century.

Day 58 – Marvelous Missoula

2009-08-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Aug 17
Hamilton, MT to Missoula, MT
54 miles

“Keep It Weird in Missoula” bumper stickers welcomed us back to a favorite town of ours. We’d been enjoying our travels through cowboy culture in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. We even had our eyes on the lookout for big silver belt buckles. But we were really happy to descend into Missoula’s eclectic, outdoorsy, collegiate, bike-oriented atmosphere where we were just part of the norm. So, although it meant a slight detour from the TransAm route, there were no complaints about pedaling the extra miles into Missoula. ML also had to replace her bald rear tire that was completely worn out after 3,000 miles on the trail. After a quick ride through the scenic Bitterroot Valley, we rode into bike-crazy Missoula where we visited 4 of the 7+ bike stores in Missoula for ML to find the perfect tire. We then enjoyed espresso, tasty microbrews at Kettlehouse Brewery (K had the Bongwater Ale – much tastier than it sounds), and fabulous pizza. ML also visited the Adventure Cycling headquarters, where she had her photo taken and was treated to ice cream. A great day spent under sunny skies and an ideal 78 degrees - a perfect mini-break from the road.

Day 57 – Honoring the Humble Hand Dryer

2009-08-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

Aug 16
Wisdom, MT to Hamilton, MT
76 miles

36, 43, 38 degrees… motorists couldn’t agree on the exact temperature, but we’re here to testify it was COLD and RAINING. As we climbed over Chief Joseph pass out of the Big Hole Valley coming from Wisdom, rain turned to sleet. We were already heavyhearted after stopping at the Big Hole Battlefield and watching a documentary on the devastating battle between the Nez Perce and the military. We were both wearing full rain gear and every stitch of clothing possible underneath, but getting wet nonetheless and colder with every mile. Finally, we crested the summit and began to descend, but this made us only colder as we no longer had the exertion of riding to warm us. About a mile down, we saw the magic words: “Rest Area”. We were heartened by the thought of potential shelter ahead. As we pulled in, we saw two motorcyclists huddled by the restrooms under the overhang. We commiserated with them briefly about the lousy riding weather and headed directly for the women’s restroom. Inside a young, equally cold cyclist leaped with joy from under the two running hand dryers when she saw us stumble in. Devon had “moved in” with her bicycle, wet clothes strung about the bathroom, and had kept the hand dryers continuously working for the last half hour. We all laughed and huddled under the dryers to warm up and dry out - moving aside when need be to let others use the facilities too. About 45 minutes later we all reluctantly braved the weather and headed on again. We especially felt sorry for Devon, who was riding directly into more inclement weather and higher elevation. Dry and feted, we turned down hill and enjoyed a rainless descent through the stunning Bitterroot Valley into Hamilton.

Day 56 – Waylaid in Wisdom

2009-08-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

Aug 15
Jackson, MT to Wisdom, MT
19 miles

Yes, a mere 19 miles. First, there was a big breakfast to eat in preparation for our intended long day’s ride. Then, ML had a flat in her rear tire which required the efforts of three people to try to remove her tire from the rim. Tire changed, we layered ourselves in our minimal cold weather wear. After a bracing 19 mile ride into Wisdom (pop. 100), K was freezing despite her outfit of cut up socks and we were both hungry – again! We enjoyed a huge lunch topped off by delicious warm blackberry pie. Fortified, we returned to the elements, but after a short foray down the road in the wind and the rain, we decided it was wiser and warmer to skeedadle back to town to the safety of the Nez Perce Motel. Thirty-five miles with no services would be fine on a fair-weather day, but we weren’t comfortable without a bail-out point on a day like today. We felt vindicated when, several hours later, 5 minutes worth of heavy hail fell. At least we were able to post our backlog of days and enjoy a fine Bitterroot Brewery ale. By the time we leave tomorrow we will have eaten lunch, dinner, and breakfast at Wisdom’s only, but luckily tasty, restaurant.

Days 54 and 55: Mad About Montana

2009-08-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Aug 13
Ennis, MT to Dillon, MT
75 miles

Aug 14
Dillon, MT to Jackson, Mt
51 miles

We’ve run out of superlatives to describe Montana. We both agree that this is the finest state yet in terms of scenery, and we certainly have enjoyed the cycling, despite adverse weather conditions over the past 2 days. The cuisine has also improved significantly since we left the Midwest, and we are now truly enjoying eating the 2,500+ calories that we need to get us through the day. And microbrews for the choosing!

The ride from Ennis to Dillon started out with having to pay back the 1,800 feet that we lost the previous day, plus an extra 200 in interest, in the first 15 miles. Near the crest of the hill we met a young man from Barcelona who had started in Philadelphia on June 1, cycled south to Florida, then west to California, north to Oregon, and now was on his way back to the East Coast! A fun descent brought us into the historic mining towns of Virginia City and Nevada City, perfectly preserved in all their late 1800’s glory. Later in the day we passed by Beaverhead Rock, and important landmark for Lewis and Clark’s trek. Hundreds of snow geese and Sandhill Cranes paddled in the marshes below. Once again, we skated into town just ahead of the afternoon thunderstorm.

The next day, on route from Dillon to Jackson, the scenery was no less stunning coming into the Big Hole Valley, but our luck with outrunning the afternoon storms gave out. Halfway between Badger Pass and Big Hole Pass we met Walter, a retired professor from North Carolina headed east, and took shelter from a passing shower with him in a silo. Here we passed the time trading touring stories and information about the route ahead. Walter was on his third trip cross-country, but vowed that this was his last trip in the US, preferring touring in Europe. Once the shower passed, we each headed our respective directions, though a few miles north we were caught again in another rain shower. With no structure to take shelter under this time, we pulled out the tent rainfly and huddled under it on the side of the road for about 40 minutes. The rain eventually subsided, but the wind kept blowing. The rest of our day was spent riding directly into a fierce headwind that threatened to blow us back to Kansas. It may have been the slowest 15 miles that either of us has ever ridden. All the while, the road ahead was shrouded in dark, ominous clouds and it constantly appeared as if we were headed directly into heavy showers. However, the road kept curving and the showers kept moving, and miraculously, we arrived in Jackson (finally!) without getting rained on again. The Jackson Lodge was our lodging for the night and soaking in its hot springs pool was the perfect fix for our cold, tired bodies. After a relaxing soak, we enjoyed a fine meal and then lively conversation with Vickie, a Ph.D. scientist from Bozeman, Jim, another touring cyclist headed east, and Richard and Katherine, cyclists doing a loop on the Lewis & Clark.

Day 53: The Force Is With Us

2009-08-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Aug 12
West Yellowstone, MT to Ennis, MT
72 miles

Our wonderful porters, Paul and Suzi, parted ways with us in West Yellowstone to return home. We actually have to carry the full weight of our gear again. Imagine the shock to our bodies! However, the stunningly varied mountain and river scenery accompanied by a strong tailwind (finally!), made today’s ride sweet and fast. During one splendid wind- and gravity- aided section, we were speeding along at 20-25mph with just intermittent, easy, pedal strokes.

Our route took us through the beautiful Madison Valley, a mecca for fly-fishing, and we passed scores of people fly-fishing in the Madison River. We spied several osprey including a nesting pair and more Pronghorns. We ended the day in the delightful town of Ennis, arriving just minutes before a downpour. At 2:00, this was one of our earliest finishes of the trip and, hands-down, the best day of cycling on this tour. An awesome introduction to Montana.

Days 47-52: Windy Wyoming

2009-08-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

Aug 6-Aug 11

Okay, it was windy but, at last, a western state with wide shoulders which makes riding so much safer and enjoyable! In Saratoga we soaked our weary muscles and frazzled nerves (following our rescue from the thunderstorm) in the town’s natural hot springs. That evening we witnessed a spectacular Wild West show of thunder and lightning strikes from the safety of Paul and Suzi’s RV. We whizzed through the rest of Wyoming with a little help from the parents. In the interest of time, we skipped some of the less desirable sections of the route (ie. the section along the Interstate, through a road construction zone, and some particularly windy miles). This allowed us time to visit Jackson and to spend more time with hordes of others exploring Yellowstone both on bike and in the car. We saw elk, bison, osprey, eagles, Pronghorn antelope, but no bears. Our visit to Wyoming culminated with a stay at the historic Inn at old Faithful, a grand old hotel situated next to the fabled geyser. We celebrated ML’s birthday in style here, and again the next day with Paul & Suzi in West Yellowstone (party hats and the works).

K modeling her haute couture cold-weather wear fashioned from Paul's old socks

The Inn at Old Faithful

One of Yellowstone's other-worldly features

Days 43-47: The Colorado Rockies and North to the Wyoming Border

2009-08-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

Aug 2 - Aug 5

For miles along a hot, desolate, no-services stretch, K had been dreaming that a kind motorist would intuit her parched state and pull over to offer an ice-cold drink. Riding on the 8 inches of shoulder on Highway 9, grinding our pedals against the headwind blowing off Heeny Reservoir, we crested a hill to find a dream come true. We found him in a turn-out, sitting on his VW Beetle bumper, hand extending a soda just plucked from his cooler. K happily guzzled her Pepsi while he filled her water bottles with bubbly water. After an amusing and lively chat, off he zipped, hand waving through his sunroof. Rehydrated, we pedaled as fast as we could to Kremmling to finish the treacherous and heavily trafficked route.

We were happy to have this one good experience with a motorist as our experiences on many of the Colorado roadways were less than desirable; the combination of no shoulders, heavy volume of traffic, and impatient, speeding motorists with cowboy mentalities detracted from the spectacular scenery around us. But the scenery was stunning, particularly near Hoosier Pass.

Climbing the Rockies was challenging. Although the grade was fairly gentle, oxygen was scarce. The last pitch of the climb up to 11,542 foot Hoosier Pass had K sounding like an old Hoover vacuum.

Saved in Colorado

2009-08-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

Well, we didn’t find God in Kansas but we did find Paul and Suzi (K’s parents) in Colorado. Or rather, they found us. Plucking us from the hot dusty roadside, they whisked us off to their well-appointed RV, stocked with all the luxuries we’ve been deprived of for 6 weeks: bubbly water, fruit, vegetables, GOOD COFFEE! They have made it their mission to support us for a week or so and are following along, carrying our gear and pampering us. Up at the crack of dawn, they ferry us to the starting point, then drive ahead to set up camp at the next RV park. And more! During a stormy afternoon in Wyoming, they appeared just in the nick of time to rescue us off the side of the road where we were hunkered down behind an embankment’s sagebrush to shelter against the 50 mph gusts and frequent lightning. Emergency rescue, food shopping, ferry services, entertainment…we may not be able to go on after they leave, we are so spoiled now in this lap of luxury.

Day 42 – Sugar City Delivers

2009-08-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

Aug 1
Eads, CO to Sugar City, CO
57 miles

The promise of 75 cent homemade cinnamon rolls in the aptly named Sugar City kept us and our new friends pedaling through the long isolated stretch from Eads, CO. An eastbound rider had passed this enticing information on to us a couple days earlier, and well, some of us had been thinking about it ever since. Along the way we sighted Pronghorn antelope, raptors, and white-tailed deer populating the vast plains. K even had a momentarily confused fawn chase after her until it heeded its mother’s call. Every few miles, ML alternately fretted that the Café of the Cinnamon Roll would be closed, and dreamed about the perfect afternoon snack waiting for us in. Finally arriving in the tiny town, we quickly located the café. Closed! Everything in town was closed on this Saturday afternoon save for the tavern. Dejected, we gathered around a soda machine to at least get a cold drink. Foiled again! The only selection that wasn’t sold out was Diet Coke.

The rest of the posse soon arrived with Saz and Aaron having just come under horn attack from a monster truck for no apparent reason. At this point we were a bit sour on Sugar City. There wasn’t a car or resident on the street except for Errol, a local resident, and his sweet dog Buddy. He had witnessed our frustration with the soda machine and listened to our sad tale about the elusive rolls. He suggested that we go over and knock on the café door and ask for some rolls. “She lives right there. Go up to the door and knock.” Instead of following Errol’s advice, we lounged in the shade before heading off into the dry afternoon heat. By this time Errol had gone on his way, but Saz spied him in his truck headed toward the café. “Do you think???”, Saz asked. Not too long after this query, Errol rolled by in his old blue and white Ford truck waving a bag of seven weighty cinnamon rolls for us. We all cheered and Buddy wagged. A sweet ending after all.

Day 41 – We Leave Kansas and Get Pulled Over by the Sheriff

2009-08-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

July 31
Tribune, KS to Eads, CO
60 miles

We finally escaped Kansas and entered Colorado, our sixth state!

Potluck in Haswell! The day’s destination was Haswell, a tiny town about 20 miles west of Eads. We were having a most agreeable day, travelling as part of a loose peloton of Saz, Aaron, Chris, and Kyle. It was agreed that we’d all make dinner together and late in the afternoon stopped in Eads to get food. This errand complete, we (K and ML) forged on ahead towards Haswell. Not more than a quarter mile outside of town, the sheriff pulled up next to our bikes, lights flashing. Our hearts pounded. Had he seen us roll through the stop sign on Main Street? Had the clerk at the grocery store reported Kath’s infringement of sitting on the bagged dog food? No, the sheriff had stopped to warn us that there was a severe weather warning and informed us that there was nothing in the way of shelter between Eads and Haswell. Just miles of sagebrush and wildflowers. Having witnessed one of the Midwest’s epic lightshows from the safety of our indoor accommodation the previous night, and experienced various “mild” Midwest storms, this was enough warning for us. We reversed course and headed back into town where there was a hung jury on whether to stay put or proceed. The three gals were all for heeding the sheriff’s advice and eventually the guys reluctantly agreed.

Indeed, within an hour, a storm to make the wicked witch of the west proud swooshed down on us as we set up tents. We fled across the green to the courthouse where we kindly had been offered shelter. From there we watched torrential wind and rain lash branches out of trees and crossed our fingers that our tents wouldn’t end back up in Kansas. After waiting out a power outage, we were able to use a real kitchen and dine in style inside using in the courthouse’s community room. So much better than the outdoor park bench!

Days 38-40: Marching Westward to Colorado

2009-07-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

July 28
Larned, KS to Ness City, KS
66 miles

July 29
Ness City, KS to Scott City, KS
57 miles

July 30
Scott City, KS to Tribune, KS
47 miles

We entered a new time zone today (Mountain), and are half a day’s ride from Colorado. We can’t say we’re sad to leave Kansas. The people are wonderful, the scenery is spectacular, but the riding is monotonous and taking a toll on our bodies. We’ve been riding the same flat terrain for over a week, providing no variation in saddle position. Instead of logging the long-mileage days that we expected, we have been frustrated by headwinds, thunderstorms, and sore butts, and our mileage has gotten shorter by the day. On the other hand, we couldn’t be happier with the temperatures. While the Pacific Northwest is sweltering in record-high temperatures, Kansas is experiencing record lows. We have been cycling in 70-80 degree weather, which is practically unheard of in the summer months. Another bonus: we’ve hooked up with the dynamic brother-sister duo of Aaron and Saz and hope to continue riding with them as long as we can keep up!

Tonight’s evening entertainment was the county fair, being held right here in Tribune. We took in the swine show, followed it up with hot dogs and root beer, and then some of us (K, Aaron, and Saz) braved the swing ride. Everyone survived the sketchy circa-1950 machinery, though K came off looking a bit green. To complete the fair experience, we shared a funnel cake, then decided to call it a night while limbs and stomachs were still reasonably intact.

Although we are behind schedule, it’s amazing to look at the map of the US and see how far we’ve come. We have cycled over 2,000 miles and are more than half way across! We can still hardly believe that we are doing this trip. Early on in our trip, in Kentucky, we were having one of our daily interchanges with local residents about our trip. A man asked about our trip, and we responded that we had started in Washington, DC and were headed for Seattle. He looked at us and there was a long silence. Then his eyes got wide and he exclaimed in his thick Kentucky drawl: “On BAH-cycles!?” I think of this conversation at least once a day, and think to myself, “OMG, we’re crossing the US on BAH-cycles!”

Days 35-37: Holy Water

2009-07-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

July 25
Eureka, KS to Newton KS
76 miles

July 26
Newton, KS to Sterling KS
66 miles

July 27, 2009
Sterling KS to Larned, KS
58 miles

Short of the big guns, tornadoes and car-damaging hail, Kansas has pulled out all its summer weather extremes for us. We’ve cycled its cool, still mornings, sampled its headwinds, and broasted (that’s simultaneous broiling and roasting). Today we rode along a 53 mile stretch with nary a service, not even a lemonade stand at one of the five houses we passed. Along the way cows cooled their heels and other parts in any available pond. When polled, ten out of ten cows agreed Kansas is too hot! Along the way K spotted a sign for the Peace Church and spent four miles riding in prayer for a spigot. It paid off. Now she’s spotting the holy spigot on toast and tortillas. After soaking our shirts, heads, and kerchiefs, we rode off feeling refreshed. Three-quarters of a mile later, our holy water had evaporated and we were heating up again.

The forecast was for a 20% chance of thundershowers, which shortly after our church birdbath turned into a 100% pounding thunderstorm. ML smartly pulled out her rain gear, including her newly purchased Walmart flamingo-colored shower cap, while K tried riding on, eventually seeking shelter in the cab of an abandoned John Deere corn harvester. That is, until she remembered that she was sitting in a gigantic lightning rod and might as well be riding her bike on a golf course holding her clubs in the air. Storm over, we raced the final 18 miles into Larned ahead of the next band of showers

The last two days we’ve met another wave of eastbounders, including a couple of retired teachers from Seattle, Frank and Allison. We finally met Rebecca and Mia, two cool young women on their own, who we had heard about from Keith a couple of weeks ago. Mia was using her mom’s Brooks saddle from when her mom rode the inaugural Transam in 1976.

Days 33 & 34 – Wind: Friend or Foe?

2009-07-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

July 23
Pittsburg, KS to Chanute, KS
59 miles

July 24
Chanute, KS to Eureka, KS
66 miles

Eastbound riders’ reports out of Kansas were not glowing. Boring. Hot. Keith reported being “suicidal” by the time he reached the Missouri border. Karen, an enthusiastic rider, exclaimed, “Rent a car. Drive across Kansas. There’s no shame in it!” For the past month, the main headline of biker’s Kansas stories has featured the terrible headwinds of Kansas. On the flipside, we’ve been reading about Westbounders easily logging 100+ mile days with the winds at their backs. We crossed our fingers that the winds would stay the same. Ha! Not so my friends! Our two days of riding in Kansas have been directly into a strong dehydrating wind of 12-20 mph, with temperatures up to 97. We had hoped to make up some miles in this flat state, but are pedaling hard just to eke out 65 miles a day.

The winds are not our first challenge on this trip, nor will they be the last. Today, we were comparing notes and found that when the going gets rough and we find ourselves getting negative, we both hear Denise, our extraordinary yoga teacher, reminding us of meeting challenge with gratitude and presence in the moment.

The kicker is, the winds the past two days are what native Kansan’s consider a gentle breeze. We learned this bit of Kansas meteorology from two wonderful Kansas women, Jay and Janie, who we met in Eureka. In town for their family reunion, we happened to ask Janie a question about lodging as they unloaded their car. This friendly exchange turned into a car tour of Eureka, a trip out to Eureka Lake, a treat out to dinner (our first chicken fried steak), and the affection of Red, their Boston Terrier. A delightful antidote to a grinding day.

Day 32 – Hello Kansas

2009-07-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

July 22
Ash Grove, MO to Pittsburg, KS
73 miles

We finally escaped Missouri today, but not without one more stretch of roller coasters. Boy, are we ready for some different terrain. A couple of hours into the day’s ride, ML’s rear tire flatted again. We pulled over to the nice lawn next to the Massey-Ferguson dealer to change the tube, and while we were doing so, Seann, another westbounder pulled up. We have been playing leapfrog with Seann ever since Summersville. He rides faster than we do, but we get up earlier, so every day he passes us during the late morning.

Lunch stop for the day was Cooky’s in Golden City, a café known far and wide among Transamers for being bicycle-friendly and for their dozen-plus pie varieties. We have been dreaming about pie and looking forward to this lunch stop for several hundred miles. ML had peach (of course) and K had strawberry-rhubarb. The pie was solid, but not as good as what’s served in the 66th street neighborhood, so it left us a bit homesick. This won’t keep us from testing more pie across the country though.

The rest of the ride was long and hot, and included a trek through mud to avoid an 8-mile detour around a construction zone. Many other cyclists had told us to ignore the detour and just continue through, noting that the ¼ mile walk through the construction zone was well worth the miles saved. Well, this was before the previous day’s heavy rain that turned the construction zone to a muddy mess. We got through it, but not before gumming up our wheels/fenders with mud that literally kept the wheels from turning. We spent a good 30 minutes cleaning out enough mud from under the fenders to let the wheels spin freely so that we could continue on.

The last 15 miles were a sprint into Pittsburg as we raced to reach the bike store before it closed at 6pm. Bike stores are very few and far between on the Transam, and we didn’t want to miss this one. We arrived at 5:20 and a mechanic immediately started working on K’s bike to adjust the shifter. After her bike was done, it was off to the Y for a shower, then dinner, then to the city park to set up camp.

Kansas first impressions: people are extremely friendly, even more so than the previous states, hard as that is to believe. While we were waiting in the bike store, Kenny, a professor at Pittsburg State University came right up to us, stuck out his hand, and introduced himself. We had a long chat about biking, Seattle, and other random topics. We have had many similar encounters our first day in Kansas.

Days 30-31 – Do These Hills Ever End?

2009-07-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

July 20
Hartville, MO to Ash Grove, MO
76 miles

July 21 – Rained out; 0 miles

After Alley Spring (which we rode through several days ago), we were under the apparently false impression that the route would get continually flatter as we neared Kansas. Oh no. Yesterday we encountered another 30-mile section of continuous roller-coaster terrain. The climbs were shorter and a bit less steep than the hard section several days ago, but exhausting nonetheless. And, the heat is back. Although it wasn’t humid, the sun beat down on us relentlessly and by the late afternoon we felt like rotisserie chickens. We are dreading Kansas with its triple-digit temperatures.

For lunch, we stopped in Fair Grove at a delightful café called Oddfellows: a virtual oasis in the Land of Everything Fried and All Vegetables Cooked for Hours. We thought we might be hallucinating when we approached the café; it seemed so out of place. We had panini (!) – delicious.

About 15 miles outside of Ash Grove, our destination for the day, a thunderstorm caught us. The rain felt good and cooled us off a bit, and created steam as it hit the hot road. We took cover (not before getting quite wet) at a convenience store, and enjoyed some chocolate milk while waiting for the rain to subside. Another 7 miles down the road, ML’s rear tire flatted. At this point in the day, hot, tired and hungry, the last thing we wanted to do was stop and change a rear tire. Hoping it was a slow leak, ML pumped it up and we kept riding. The strategy worked; we pumped it up every couple of miles and made it into town without stopping to replace it.

Once in town, we stopped at the first gas station/convenience store to ask directions to the town park where we planned to camp. Tom, the store owner, directed us to the park, but warned us that the forecast called for strong rain overnight and added that if we wanted, we could talk to his wife about renting their small apartment over the store. We thanked him and went in search of the park. We found the park in short order but were disappointed to find that the pool (and showers) was closed. Having gone the night before without a shower, we were in dire need of a good scrub. The wind had also picked up and the sky was darkening. The park had a couple of pavilions, but they were small and would offer poor protection against a strong storm. We made our way back to the convenience store to inquire about the apartment. We thought that they rented the apartment as a regular thing, but in talking to Leanne, Tom’s wife, it was apparent that no one had been in the apartment in over a year. She said it wasn’t fancy and apologized for the lack of a dishwasher, tv, or Internet when she showed it to us. We, on the other hand, felt like we had won the lottery. It was a multi-room air-conditioned apartment with living room, bedroom, full kitchen (with stove/oven, refrigerator, and microwave), and a washer & dryer! We thought this fine accommodation would be way over-budget, so when she said that it would be $20 we nearly fell over.

This morning we awoke to steady rain, a forecast of heavy rain and thunderstorms, and a flash-flood warning. It’s 30 miles to the next town, and the only accommodation there is camping, so we’ve decided it’s safer to stay put. Tom offered to lend us his truck to drive to the library and Leanne just showed up with a big steamer pot and a box of fresh vegetables from her garden. We continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity of the people we are meeting.

Day 29 – Adapting to Life on the Road

2009-07-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

July 19
Summersville, MO to Hartville, MO
61 miles

Another hearty meal at the Trailside Restaurant and we set off for more of the aforementioned rolling pastoral farmland. En route, an hour-long, entertaining roadside chat with Art of Longview, WA and Doug of Bend, OR ended with the “ceremonial” handing over of Halt dog spray from us Westbounders to the Eastbounders. Although we continue to encounter the occasional snarling dog, attacks are much less frequent this side of Berea, KY.

Tonight’s accommodations: center stage of little Hartville where we pitched our tent on the shady lawn of the county courthouse. To access the restrooms we only had to walk past the jail cells and through the work space of the deputies and sheriffs who were quite friendly about the invasion.

Our new itinerant lifestyle has sparked various creative survival adaptations. We’ve learned to be on the lookout for power sources to repower our electronics any time we’re off the bikes. When we’re in restaurants we always choose the table next to an outlet and have become pretty savvy about other outlet locations. It turns out that park pavilions and utility poles often have electrical outlets and between our various sources we manage to stay charged most of the time. ML is a master at finding free wireless service; sometimes this is as easy as sitting down in a café with free wi-fi, but more often involves walking around the perimeter of town parks searching for unsecured “neighborband” from houses abutting the park. K has gotten quite adept at spotting small packages of free condiments and salad dressings at convenience stores that we use to liven up our camp cooking. We now top off our water bottles whenever we have access to a water source and are running out less often. When in a restaurant, we’ve learned to ask to have our water bottles refilled with ice water, and the staff is always happy to do so. Perhaps the most difficult thing has been figuring out what to cook for dinner under these conditions: one pot, no refrigeration, no way to store leftovers, and often very limited selection of ingredients in the stores. Pasta is easy, but we’ve gotten pretty tired of that over a 4-week period. Shopping takes an inordinate amount of time as we wander from aisle to aisle pondering what to cook tonight. We’re still learning and experimenting with bike-touring cooking and hope to have a solid repertoire of dishes mastered by the end of the trip. Or not.

It was a shame to have to turn off from the road to Success

One-room schoolhouse

Lots of these crazy looking armadillos

Camping on the courthouse lawn

Days 26-28 : Mother Nature Hands Us a Gift

2009-07-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

July 16 – Rest Day in Farmington

July 17
Farmington, MO to Ellington, MO
71 miles

July 18
Ellington, MO to Summersville, MO
48 miles

Sometimes a bad reputation is just a tall tale. We’d been reading, and hearing from the eastbound riders, about the Ozarks. Along with the Appalachians, these Missouri mountains have a reputation among Transamers as having some of the toughest cycling of the route. The steep grades and intense summer heat tag-team to sap the strength from riders and demolish morale. We experienced just this phenomenon our first day in Missouri, as we crawled up 12% grades, drenched in sweat. The bad rep was well-deserved, and for days before we reached it, we’d been dreading a particularly hard 32-mile section between Ellington and Alley Spring that resembled piranha teeth on the elevation profile.

During our rest day in Farmington, a miracle of nature occurred: a cold front moved in and brought unseasonably cool weather. For the past two days, as we pedaled our way through the heart of the Ozarks, we have enjoyed temperatures in the 70’s (!) with low humidity. It feels like we’re back in Seattle, and the cool conditions make the hard climbing so much easier. Today we made it through the tough section, huffing and puffing, but able to enjoy the scenery of forestland and wide, calm, crystal-clear rivers. It was work, but just good hard work, not a sweltering slog.

After 2 nights of camping in city parks we are spending the night inside, in paid lodging in sleepy Summersville, population 548. Camping is allowed in Summersville’s city park, but there are no restrooms. We manage just fine with no showers, but draw the line at no restrooms. Dinner was the fried chicken special at the town’s one restaurant: 2 pieces of chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, Texas toast, and salad bar for $5.99. We are getting used to these prices! Tomorrow we continue our quest for the Kansas border.

Congratulations to Brooke and Joe on their wedding day!

Day 25 – Ozark Foothills

2009-07-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

July 15
Chester, IL to Farmington, MO
49 miles

Our day was bookended by thunderstorms with a whole lotta muggy heat in between. Typical summer weather in these parts, apparently. The ride through Chester this morning was amusing; this town’s claim to fame is in being the hometown of Popeye’s creator, and Popeye and all his buddies are everywhere. Now if we could just find spinach to eat. Just after passing the Popeye statue, we were on a small bridge crossing the mighty Mississippi. Now that is one big river! We would have loved to have taken a picture but there was nowhere to pull over and we didn’t think that even the most patient of motorists would have taken kindly to waiting while we played tourist.

Today’s ride was beautiful, once again, but it was hard to appreciate the scenery with the pain we were in. After a too short ride along the fertile floodplain, we started into the foothills of the Ozarks. If what we went through today are just baby Ozarks, boy are we in trouble when we get into the big boys. On the other hand, we’re riding on legs that have been going hard for 8 days solid and they are drained. Even though we hate to get another day behind, we have to be realistic and take a rest day before riding through the heart of the Ozarks.

Tonight’s sleeping arrangements are the most unusual of our trip yet. The firemen of Farmington welcomed us and two other cyclists (Chris and Kyle: our first encounter with fellow Westbounders) out of the rain and thunder. We are now resting comfortably in the Farmington Fire Station’s air-conditioned Mobile Command Unit. It’s a gigantic hi-tech bus with cable tv so we can watch the Tour de France. The guys here are super friendly and have really made us feel at home – welcoming us to hang out in their break room and have full use of all their facilities. We hope to have a restful night, barring any local disasters.

Day 20 – Day 24: Two More States and 1 Time Zone Down

2009-07-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

July 10
Hodgenville, KY to Falls of Rough, KY
61 miles

July 11
Falls of Rough, KY to Sebree, KY
75 miles

July 12
Sebree, KY to Cave In Rock, IL
58 miles

July 13
Cave In Rock, IL to Goreville, IL
61 miles

July 14
Goreville, IL to Chester, IL
69 miles

Sorry we haven’t posted in so long. We are busy biking, eating, finding shelter, and sleeping, and are having the darnedest time finding the time to write about the day. We have barely taken any pictures either (yeah, we're kinda tired of the farm landscape too). But, the good news is that we are now 1 time zone closer and two states closer to home! We finished Kentucky on the 12th and have ridden across Illinois in 2 days. We are on the banks of the Mississippi tonight, poised to attack Missouri tomorrow.

Some brief reflections on the past few days:

Unpleasant surprise of the week: Illinois is not all flat! The southern tip is decidedly hilly! According to fellow Transamers, the route isn’t flat until we get to Kansas, and then it’s so flat and boring that we’ll be wishing for hills again (ha!).

We continue to be impressed with how friendly and welcoming of cyclists the residents of the many small towns that we pass through are. We have experienced many simple acts of generosity that really mean a lot to us. In a small market, the owner approached us and offered us popsicles, and then filled up our water bottles with ice (!). In Whitesville, the two young checkers came outside to talk to us about our trip and asked if we needed our water bottles refilled. At the delightful Marion Café, our server welcomed us to stay as long as we wanted, even after they had closed. (BTW, we had a very memorable dessert here: a piece of Ho-Ho cake, a delicious concoction of chocolate cake and whipped cream filling.) At Delaney’s Café in Goreville, we were treated to dessert (as are all cyclists). We are approached by literally dozens of people every day, asking about our trip and giving us their well wishes.

Many businesses keep logs for bikers passing through to sign. In Sonora, a man in a car flagged us down to encourage us to stop in at the local café (Brooks Café) to sign the log. We did stop, and were amazed to find a log that went back to 1978! It’s great fun to read comments from other cyclists, some of whom we have actually met on the road.

We are passing Eastbound cyclists in spades now: 3-5 groups per day. Many are road-weary and ready to be done, but yesterday we met a group of three (an American woman travelling with 2 Dutch men) that were still enjoying themselves and so enthusiastic about the trip that it was a real joy to talk to them. We got a lot of helpful tips about the route ahead.

Another task slowing us down is the number of turtle rescues that have to be performed daily. We have a picture documenting the process. No doubt our speed will increase noticeably once we are out of turtle country. K also stopped yesterday for a snake (the first live one we’ve seen on the road), but after noticing the rattle, she decided he was on his own.

We experienced another fabled Transam institution on Saturday: the bike hostel run by the First Baptist church in Sebree. In exchange for a 5-minute attempt by Pastor Bob to save us, we were treated to a stay in an air-conditioned basement with mattresses, a hot shower, tv, and use of a full kitchen. Most cyclists also have dinner cooked for them by Violet, Pastor Bob’s wife, but unfortunately, she was tied up with the Sebree Summerfest so we had to fend for ourselves.

Over the past several days, we have passed through several Amish and Mennonite communities. The motorists in these locales are very patient with us cyclists, we figure since they get a lot of practice with the horse and buggies on the road.

Kentucky - Illinois Route

2009-07-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

By popular demand, we are posting a map of the section of the Transam that we are currently biking. I'm sure this is a flagrant violation of copyright law, but, hey, we're willing to take risks for our friends. Readers that have been paying attention (ahem) will know that we posted a map of the entire route in an earlier post.

Day 19 – Bourbon Country

2009-07-10T17:08:00.000-07:00

July 9
Bardstown, KY to Hodgenville, KY
47 miles

Historic Bardstown offered a java joint with wireless for us to linger part of the morning away and continue to eat. Three miles into our ride with the day heating up we pulled off to learn about whiskey distillation at the eight generation owned Heaven Hill Bourbon distillery. Who knew learning about sour mash could be so fascinating? Actually, our Bourbon education helped us understand a significant cultural shift in this part of western Kentucky. The art of whiskey distillation was brought to the region by the large influx of Irish, Scotch, and German immigrants. Suddenly, we were sighting Virgin of Mary statues in place of lawn jockeys and St. Anne’s Catholic churches instead of Baptist.

We decided to forgo the Bourbon tasting given that it was only 11am and we still had 45 miles to pedal. Kentucky is a funny state – you can pedal for 3 days through dry counties where you can’t so much as buy a 5% beer and the next day end up in the Bourbon capital of the world.

We are camped tonight at another town park which we’re sharing with a Little League Tournament. Following protocol, we checked in with the Hodgenville police before setting up our tents, then had a refreshing cold shower at the pool house next to the ball field. It’s hotter than Hades today, so not having hot water was a non-issue. There is another group of Transam cyclists camping here – 3 college-age kids headed eastbound. We’ve traded notes about the Appalachians and the Ozarks, and places to stay along the way. We forgot to mention yesterday that we met up with our first cross-country cyclist. Chris started in Oregon and is headed East on a Surly Extra-Cycle conversion. (Babette, we thought of you.) We are surprised that it’s taken so long to encounter other coast-to-coasters.

Today’s milestone: first flat tire of the trip. Award goes to K.

Day 18 – We Get Reacquainted With the Big Chain Ring

2009-07-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

July 8
Harrodsburg, KY to Bardstown, KY
48 miles

“Rolling” is back in our good graces. With fresh legs, 48 miles of spectacular and gently undulating terrain begged us to finally pedal our big chain ring. A thoroughly relaxing day with enough time to sight-see. We are still passing through farming country but are now seeing more and more tobacco fields as we head westward.

Our route took us right past the Lincoln Cabin, a homestead log cabin and stomping grounds of Abe Lincoln’s grandmother, Bersheba, and her five children, one of whom was Thomas – Abe’s father. History lesson over.

Day 17 – Rest Day in Lexington

2009-07-09T05:56:00.001-07:00

July 7

What could be better after three rough days on the road than to be whisked off in an air-conditioned car to a big meal, a real bed with sheets, and a day of rest? Not much, in our opinion. Claudia, our trail angel and gracious host, took time from her busy job as a professor at UK to drive to Berea, pick us up, and take us back to her comfortable home in Lexington. There we spent the evening and next day relaxing, recuperating, and attending to a few errands, which included getting some much needed work done on our bikes. In another stroke of good fortune, Claudia happened to know a bike mechanic, Jim, who was able to work on our bikes and get them back to us within a couple of hours. Jim did an excellent job and charged us next to nothing. Claudia’s all-inclusive deluxe package included a tour of Lexington, which is a charming small city with many stately old homes on tree-lines streets. Unfortunately, we didn’t take the camera on the tour, so can’t share Lexington’s splendor with you. The next day, Claudia drove us back to the Transam (though not back to Berea –shhhhh- we decided to skip a small 40-mile section).

Day 16 – What a Difference a Day Makes

2009-07-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

July 6
Buckhorn, KY to Berea, KY
76 miles

Quiet country roads with stunning scenery helped calm our frayed nerves (except for the intermittent dog attacks). After a light “emergency” food dinner the previous night, our camp breakfast of instant oatmeal barely made a dent. A hilly 18 miles before the next café caused us to succumb to blueberry Poptarts and chocolate milk from the convenience store as a breakfast of champions starter. Little did we know that this would actually be significantly healthier and tastier than the frightful fare served at a café we stopped at for our third breakfast. We thought eggs and pancakes would be safe… Today’s other major challenge was finding water. The day’s route had a 40-mile stretch with no stores. No more available church spigots. In fact, no one seemed to have outside faucets. Luckily, the people we prevailed upon for water along the way were happy to help keep us hydrated. This was another long day on depleted legs and we resorted to pushing our bikes up some of the steeper grades. We finally reached Berea and were thrilled to be met by ML’s friend, Claudia, who rescued us from another night at a campground and another dry county. Claudia whisked us away to her comfortable home in Lexington for a huge dinner with her family. At last good food, some wine, and a bed (!). Tomorrow a rest day at last!

Day 15 – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2009-07-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

July 5
Hindman, KY to Buckhorn, KY
58 miles

Our second day in Kentucky started off great with a huge breakfast with multiple varieties of fruit and a just-born litter of kittens to ooh and awe over. The first 10 miles of cycling were on peaceful country roads. Then we made an unfortunate wrong turn that cost us 10 extra miles, 2 long uphill climbs, and 1-1/2 hour wasted hours. The route quickly went downhill (not literally, unfortunately) from there. After we retraced out steps and got back on route, the next 8 miles was on a hilly 4-lane highway with cars speeding by. Although the shoulder was mercifully wide, half of it was taken up by a rumble strip and the other half was strewn with rocks and debris. We gritted our teeth , breathed the prevalent coal dust and got through it. Exiting the road, we thought: “That wasn’t so bad”, and stopped at a Walmart (akin to civilization) to seek out lunch. This is where the day started to really head south. Cars driven by impatient drivers were streaming into the massive parking lot. As we rode up to the store entrance, we came upon the aftermath of a fistfight, with blood spewing from a young man’s nose all over the ground. The next road (a 2-laner), that we expected to be better, was just as busy, hilly and rumbly. By the time we exited, we were both stressed. Then, as if on cue, it began to darken and rain. The shoulder all but disappeared, but the traffic persisted, as we entered another desperate section of unkept trailer-homes and widespread trash. The hills went on and on. It began to rain harder. The visibility worsened and our brakes became less and less effective on the downhills. Our moods continued to decline. We decided to shorten the day’s route by 18 miles and stop at Buckhorn rather than Booneville, which we eventually reached after what seemed like an interminable length of time. Just after we entered the campground, the rain stopped and the sun came out, and things were right again.

Days 14 – Hello Kentucky

2009-07-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

July 4
Breaks, VA to Hindman, KY
71 miles

We began Day 14 by riding into Kentucky. One state down and nine more to cross! Virginia is the state with the most riding miles, so this was a big accomplishment to have under our elastic waistbands. Many consider the stretch between Breaks and Hindman to be the hardest section on the Transam. We entered Eastern Kentucky well aware of its bad reputation among cyclists for the three evils of steep inclines, monstrous coal trucks that roar down the road with little concern for anything in their paths, and vicious chasing dogs. By complete luck, and absolutely no planning on our part, we managed to time our entrance to Kentucky perfectly by arriving on a 3-day weekend and avoiding the coal trucks altogether. In fact, hardly anyone seemed to be driving on the 4th, and we enjoyed a day of surprisingly quiet roads. A big relief given what we were expecting.

The dogs however, don’t seem to be on holiday. We were chased by dogs occasionally in western Virginia, but in eastern Kentucky we have dogs (as in a pack of) snarling at our ankles 5-6 times per day. This is not an ASPCA sanctioned sentiment, but we are HAPPY to see a chained dog on this adventure. As the rabbit in our riding duo, ML takes the frontal assault, pedals like Lance, and wears the curs out. Then they turn on K who does her best St. Francis of Assisi smooth talk and tells them to make better choices in the future. Naturally, they sit down docile as lambs. We are armed with Halt (pepper spray for dogs) but have not had to use it yet (close, though). None have actually made tooth contact (as long as you don’t count the pannier that got a nip). In an infuriating case yesterday, the dog’s owner sat on the porch talking on his cellphone and watching idly while his two dogs (small but quite vicious really) lunged for our ankles.

Three days has taken us through a wide range of physical and cultural terrain. The first 2 days we went through many small communities made up largely of trailer homes and abandoned vehicles with garbage strewn about, interspersed with somewhat better-off pockets of modest homes. The dominance of the mining industry is obvious, from the coal lining the sides of the highways, to the bumper stickers proclaiming support for coal. “Save a miner, shoot a tree hugger.” The people are overall friendly, but you can tell life is hard in Appalachia. The first day was better than we expected. We had several major climbs but completed the mileage and ended the day at a peaceful biker hostel run by David Smith, who met us at the top of his driveway with a cold glass of ice tea and later made us gigantic ice cream sundaes. He also did our laundry!

Day 13 - Them’s the Breaks

2009-07-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

July 3
Rosedale, VA to Breaks, VA
47 miles

We finally did make it to the post office and mailed home a measly 3.6 lb box. Psychological weight, really. There in line, one pierced young woman laid out the gender reality of our trip by exclaiming, “Whoa! You’re a chick! That’s so cool! I only ever see guys.” True, we too have only seen male cyclists. Women are certainly the minority on the Transam and two women alone is a real novelty, apparently. People seem to be protective of us – we get a lot of: “Be safe”, “Be careful” – and we wonder if this has more to do with being women, or cyclists on busy roads. A woman a few days earlier asked: “Do you have sidearms?” We did need their well wishes, as we vied with holiday traffic on the shoulder-less road up to Breaks Interstate Park (so-called not because it lies next to a big highway, but because it spans Virginia and Kentucky). The park itself covers some beautiful country and has the deepest gorge this side of the Mississippi. We were less impressed with our accommodations. We never figured out if it was because we asked for a “tent site” as opposed to a “campsite”, or rather we were the victims of sold-out holiday capacity. Assigned to a small sloping field that we shared with a half-dozen other tents and a water faucet, we were exiled to this no man’s-land which was literally 1.5 miles to the bathroom. Each of the “normal” campsites enjoyed FLAT land, a picnic table, and a short stroll to the bathrooms, On the plus side, the park has a restaurant that overlooks the gorge, where we availed ourselves of the all-you-can-eat dinner buffet for $11.95 - a hungry cyclist’s dream.

Day 12 – We Make Ourselves at Home in a Church

2009-07-04T04:31:00.000-07:00

July 2
Damascus, VA to Rosedale, VA
33 miles

We decided to make today a short day for practical reasons. The scarcity of accommodations over the next 150 miles dictate that we put in either two shorter days, or one really long day. Given the steep terrain (did we mention that it’s hilly here?), we selected Door #1.

We are settled for the night at the Elk’s Garden Methodist Church, where we entered the unlocked building and read: “Welcome Bikers. Make yourselves at home. Help yourselves to food in the refrigerator. Sleep inside or outside.” We considered sleeping in the actual church (plush soft red carpet), but it didn’t quite feel right, so we’ll roll out our sleeping bags in the annex next door instead.

Day 11 – Visiting in Virginia

2009-07-04T04:19:00.000-07:00

July 1
Wytheville, VA to Damascus, VA
59 miles

Strangers made our day. Resting next to a post office in Sugar Grove, we struck up a conversation with a local resident who came by to drop off a letter. There was nothing particularly striking about the conversation – he asked about our trip, told us his wife had been to Seattle to visit a friend, and commented on the road ahead – but was something just so easy and natural and purely genuine about this moment of connection.

Later, as we were struggling up a major climb, a small car sporting “My Other Car is a Bicycle” and “Peace is Patriotic” stickers pulled alongside us. Harry and Betty, a lovely retired couple from Florida, were enthralled with the idea of cycling across country and peppered us with questions about our trip. We hit it off immediately. They are both cyclists that met through their local cycling club, and were doing what they do every summer: leave Florida and go north. Last year they drove motorcycles all the way to Michigan; when we met up with them they were camping and hiking in the area, making their way to Washington DC. Their energy and excitement was radiant and they were a delight to talk to. Later, that evening, we saw them again in Damascus – they had come looking for us – and had more great conversation.

Last, but not least, there was Stu, the cyclist we met at the hostel in Damascus. He came over and introduced himself right away when he saw us. On a 2-week break from med school, Stu was cycling a FIXED gear bike from Missouri to Charlotte, putting in 100-mile days. Boy did we feel like slackers. For those of you who don’t cycle, a fixed gear bike has a single gear (a big one), and the thought of having only one big gear to climb these hills is enough to make us both cry. But check out the picture we took of Stu, his bike, and ultralight gear. All he travels with is the stuff on top of his rear rack, which includes a sleeping bag, tarp (for shelter), bike tools, and a single change of clothes. Believe me, we were taking notes and would love to emulate the simplicity (and lightness, hello) of his setup. Stu has a most accomplished adventure resume: he has through-hiked both the Appalachian Trail (Georgia to Maine) AND the Pacific Crest Trail (Mexican border to Canadian border), and has cycled the entire Continental Divide Trail (New Mexico to Canada). We spent a delightful evening eating pizza with him, and then more time the next morning over a cup of coffee before we went our separate ways.

Day 10 - Sleeping in the City Park

2009-07-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

June 30
Christiansburg, VA to Wytheville, VA
59 miles

No, we didn’t get arrested for vagrancy. Wytheville actually permits cyclists to camp in their quiet little downtown park. Quite sweet, really, and you can’t beat the price. Another hard riding day, this one made easier by the 15-cent Flavor-Ice popsicles and bubbly water at a tiny country store. High point: steak (!) at the Log House Restaurant. Exhausted and tummies full, we were asleep by 7:59 pm.

Yes, We're still Alive

2009-07-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

An no, we're not in Kentucky yet. However, we are within 15 miles of the border and should be there tomorrow. Sorry for the long lapse in posts. We have been wifi-less for the most part, ducking into libraries here and there to check e-mail. Cell phone reception is spotty too. But we're bloggong, and will post a whole slew of news when we can. Stay posted!

Day 9 – Unscheduled Rest Day

2009-06-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

June 29
Christiansburg to Christiansburg
0 miles

K has had a sore throat, cold, and cough since Charlottesville. She’s been a real trouper, mashing out the miles in the heat, but yesterday’s ride did her in. She sorely needs rest, so we’re spending an extra day in Christiansburg, tucked comfortably into an EconoLodge. The next few days promise more tough cycling, so it makes sense to stop and recoup, rather than risk making this cold even worse. Hopefully we’ll be back in the saddle again tomorrow morning bright and early.

Note from K: Given that I spent the day sleeping and didn’t watch Animal Planet, you all know I really am sick!

In the meantime, I (ML) have been marveling at the regional differences in what’s offered at the grocery store. The local Food Lion has an entire section (5 shelves) devoted to chewing tobacco. The frozen food selections include breaded okra and black-eyed peas. There is no organic produce whatsoever. Kinda different than the ‘ole PCC.

Day 8 – The Steep Inclines of the Appalachians

2009-06-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

June 28
Troutville, VA to Christiansburg, VA
64 miles

It’s hard to believe one simple word can nearly bring you to your knees, but “just” nearly did that today. Our route took us through the rolling farmland of the Catawba Valley. Cows, horses, goats, and acres of hay fields populated the landscape. Stunning. We keep waiting for the scenery to turn from picturesque to dull, or at least commonplace, but the landscape continues to awe. Gorgeous geography, not a lot of manscape, though. In the heat we can barely carry enough water with us. Our afternoon 40-plus miles were the toughest cycling yet; the steep roller-coaster grades of the Appalachians took the starch out of us. We’d prefer to climb an 8,000-foot western pass any day over these relentless up and downs, even if at the end of the day the total is only 4,000 feet elevation gain. You huff and puff to the top of a 15% grade, speed down the other side in 30 seconds, and repeat. And repeat. And repeat. So when the one general store was Sunday shuttered and a passerby suggested a store JUST down the road on the right, we clambered onto our bikes with the mantra,Cold Drink! Cold Drink!, re-energizing us. We rode on and on in search of the phantom store, eventually realizing once again we’d been fooled by “just”. “Just” draws a line in the sand between motorist perspective and biker perspective. Just around the corner… Just down the road aways…We gave up on that search after a couple of miles off-route, even though it probably was just a little further. Didn’t pass another store until 2 hours later and finally got that cold drink. In the meantime, we were saved by the church spigot.

We didn’t make it into Christiansburg until 7:30 pm or so, riding in with the fireflies. Thinking we were being very clever, we spied what seemed like an obvious shortcut on the map. And as most “shortcuts” turn out to be, it was a no-chance-of-cycling-up-it, barely-push-our-bikes-up, very, very steep ½ mile hill. Half way up the hill, to further humiliate us, the skies let loose with a torrent of rain that soaked us through. As a fitting ending to the day, we then had to cycle an additional 4 miles down a 4-lane commercial road to reach a motel. But we made it, and celebrated with a big outing to the Ruby Tuesday’s next door to reacquaint ourselves with vegetables at the salad bar.

Sorry there’s not much in the way of pictures. We were too tired to stop for anything that didn’t involve cold drinks.

Note to neighbors: We wired money to Rascal and he’s on his way home for his appointments. No more adventures for him. He’s listed as one of Seattle’s longest lived rabbits and we might get big prize money from the American House Rabbit Society. Plus Animal Planet called for an interview. Thanks for keeping him going!

A Note About the Route

2009-06-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

Many of you have asked about our route. For the majority of the trip, we are following the Transamerica Trail, shown above. Once we get to Missoula, we plan to join the Lewis & Clark Trail for a short distance, and then a DIY route from Eastern Washington to home. More detail regarding the Transam or Lewis & Clark can be found at www.adventurecycling.org

Day 7 - 1 Week Complete

2009-06-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

June 28
Mallard Duck Campground (Lexington, VA) to Camp Bethel (Troutville, VA)
48 miles

We never did make it to Fed Ex so today’s good news is that I’m stronger! And I don’t have to send my toe nail polish back home. But then, ML is stronger too which means she’s still faster than me. Today she passed me saying, “I just can’t make my legs go that slow.” Just to prove my good humor I didn’t shout after her, “That would be slowLY. SlowLY. An adverb!” And then we had our true first taste of hospitality as we were called after by a friendly woman in her bathrobe getting her morning paper – “Would you like a cup of coffee?” A picturesque 8 mile jaunt took us into the lovely town of the grand house and enormous front porch, Lexington, VA. A two college town, Lexington was a friendly portal back to what feels like our “peeps”. Cars sported Obama stickers and I learned at the organic grocery store that it was the only town in western Virginia that solidly voted for Obama. Fueled by real coffee, a fabulous egg sandwich, and lemon meltaways from the local bakery, we rode along another lengthy stretch of stunning green farmland passed by an occasional truck. It did heat up today. ML remained unfazed and I, the heat weenie, sported my third heat rash of the trip. Riding over the asphalt was like riding over bubble wrap. The tar bubbled into tiny mushrooms which popped as we rode over them. Church of the Brethern made our day complete by offering its shady and spacious Camp Bethel for a inexpensive, delightful overnight stay. 5 bucks for the tent, complete with shower and swimming pool.

1st week complete! Total miles=352.

Day 6 - Thanks Be to Granny Gears and Cloudcover!

2009-06-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

June 26
Afton, VA to Mallard Duck Campground 8 mi E. of Lexington, VA
44 miles

We’re out of the Piedmont and into the Appalachians. It’s a whiter, more Confederate world. BUT, the ride that got us here was amazing. The word of the day was ASCEND! Thanks to our ultralow gearing (Granny) we pedaled our beasts of burden up and down the lush Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway, actually enjoying ourselves along this 27 mile section. It was slow going, though, and I was gleeful when ML, the head navigator, announced we only had seven more miles before we DESCENDED, as in a long descent to a store with cold drinks and provisions. Well, 7 miles took a long time to dissolve into 6 and 5 and so on. The sun blazed; we pedaled. The descent was a challenge of a different kind; 3 miles down a winding road so steep that we had to stop twice to let our rims cool down. A real forearm workout from applying brakes.

Scrounging up a meal in these parts is the challenge of the day. Even after viewing the old one room log cabin where a typical family of 14 would live and cook over a wood fire (exhibit on the Blue Ridge), I felt pretty sorry for our hungry selves as we surveyed the dusty, scantily stocked shelves of Gertie’s Country Store. The friendly folk there served us up grilled cheese and a “chef’s” salad and we rode off with Cambell’s mushroom soup and pasta for dinner.

A note to readers: We are camping more now with minimal access to the Internet, so our posts may be less frequent. Please continue to leave comments - we read and enjoy them all.

Day 5 - The Cookie Lady and Fresh Peach Pie

2009-06-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

June 25
Charlottesville, VA to Afton, VA
29 miles

Need inspiration? Read on (even if we’re not the focus). Our short, but hilly and hot day out of Charlottesville ended at the home of the legendary Cookie Lady. After thirty years, 88 year-old June Curry is still welcoming Transamers into the Bike House, a house adjacent to hers that she has dedicated to bikers. Stories, memorabilia, lodging, and sustenance are offered for free, and about 14,000 bikers have rolled by to pay regards or stay for a night. The bike house is papered with the thanks and good will inspired by the Cookie Lady’s generosity. Despite a catalog of health issues, Mrs. Curry has remained dedicated to supporting cross-country cyclists, asking for nothing in return except signing her log book. After a lively, entertaining chat and photo shoot for her photo log of cyclists, we happily holed up in our own “home” for the night.

On the way up to the Cookie Lady’s house, we passed a peach orchard and were delighted to find out that the peaches are in! We bought fresh peaches (immediately consumed) and a piece of peach pie (to go) from the roadside stand. What could be better than ending the day with fresh peach pie?

Day 4 - What Can I Pitch besides the Tent To Make these Panniers Lighter???????

2009-06-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

June 24
Mineral, VA to Charlotesville, VA
59 miles

This was my (Kath’s) main query for the day while riding through the most bucolic scenery. Yes, except for those pesky conservative laws, I could be a Virginian. Bucolic – landscape so beautiful it almost makes you a little ill. Oh, I forgot – riding through ROLLING countryside. Is it possible to ride slower than 4 miles an hour and stay upright? Yes, you can! Slower than a Virginia turtle, which happen to dot the roadside. Some are raised dots, some are (sadly) flat dots. But the real reason for mentioning turtles is that Mary Lou has threatened that if I don’t quit helping the lil’ snappers cross the road, we’ll never make it out of the state. So I leave it to PETA to take up the cause. Oh wait, they’re too busy going after fly swatters.

Today we rode by more history and gave it a friendly wave. James Monroe’s estate- an awesome tree-lined driveway winding up a big hill. Sorry James. We really gave Monticello an honest effort, but ,no, we weren’t allowed to ride our bikes up to old Jefferson’s front porch. I think if you extend his politics to present day, he’d have supported our biking initiative. However, our initiative was mos’ def’ not supported by the frantic volunteer calling after us, “Maam’, Maam’, ya’ll may not ride up there!!”

Oh well. So we rode on into lovely Charlottesville. Fabulous commercial pedestrian walkway. Large scale photography exhibit hanging from the trees, cool restaurants, book stores, interesting architecture. A happening spot. Visions of a warm summer eve sipping wine as vibrant nightlife flowed around us, floated away as we rode further and further from the historic downtown to our comfy, but uncoolly situated hotel. Not even a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio and an excellent wood-fired pizza could lure us back through hilly Charlottesville. Our quads are on fire! But we’re having FUN!

Tomorrow, first stop – FedEx.

Day 3 – Navigational Challenges (or, Where the bleep is Bumpass??)

2009-06-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

June 23
Fredericksburg, VA to Mineral, VA
57 miles

Low point: Trying to find the elusive Bumpass, VA
High point: Finding Bumpass
Notable sign outside a Baptist church: “Warning: Exposure to the Son may keep you from burning”.
(We went with the sunburn….)
Awards: 2nd road rash of the trip: ML

Luckily, we had only planned on 50 miles on Day 3 because our legs were toast when we woke up. Burnt toast. The route was a cyclist’s delight on rural lightly travelled roads with rolling terrain. Farmland, woods, and small communities were the order of the day. It feels good to finally be out in the country, though the food options have gotten decidedly poorer. Today we met up with the Transamerica Trail, which we will be taking all the way to Missoula. We had a frustrating couple of hours trying to find the town of Bumpass, which was the town directly after the point where the 2 routes intersected. We still have no idea how we got off route, but we must have been way off route. We finally got directions from a local resident who got us pointed in the right direction, not once, but twice: “Are you girls STILL lost?”

We finally made it to Bumpass, and then to Mineral, our home for the night. We are camped behind the Mineral Fire Station, across from the garage housing the fire engine. Let’s hope it’s a quiet night for emergencies.

Epilogue: No sirens were heard, but perhaps they were drowned out by the train that passed by 50 yards away every 2 hours.

Day 2 –Shopping Malls Give Way to Civil War Battlefields

2009-06-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

June 22
Woodbridge, VA to Fredericksburg, VA
75 miles

High point: Courteous motorists
Low point: Hunting for provisions
Awards: 1st road rash of the trip: ML
Famous last words: “I’m sure there’ll be another grocery store up ahead”.

Day 2 turned into an epic day mileage-wise at 75. The planned mileage was only 62, but a combination of navigational errors and mistakes on the map (yes, really) added unintended distance to the route. End-to-end shopping malls started the day, gradually giving way to subdivisions, which in turn gave way to a short stretch of farmland, hanging on for dear life. The encroaching development was evident; billboards with “10-acre lots available” were frequent and a few newly-built mega-homes mingled with the old barns.

Following this stretch, we came to Fredericksburg, steeped in Civil War history (Battle of Fredericksburg anyone?). The route took us directly through one of the battlefields and we couldn’t help imaging what it would have been like to be a soldier of that era in a trench with a musket. Turns out General Lee is a popular guy around here. Friends and family you’re all getting Confederate key rings as souvenirs.

Our long day ended eventually at the Fredericksburg KOA, which was quite spendy for camping, but the only thing available camping-wise, and less expensive than a hotel. Unfortunately, we had unknowingly passed the only real grocery store on the route north of Fredericksburg, and had nothing for dinner. We passed on the Mac and cheese with canned peas from the KOA “store”. Since one of us didn’t want s’mores for dinner either, ML added another 13 miles of riding to the Food Lion for provisions. The day closed with a thunderstorm accompanied by torrential rain. Lucky for us, it waited until we had gone to bed, and the tent held up just fine.

Day 1, On the Road at Last

2009-06-21T18:01:00.000-07:00

Washington DC
to Woodbridge VA
40 miles

Yesterday we flew from home to BWI in 5 hours. Now it's going to take us 9 weeks to get back.

The past two days couldn't have been nicer. The flight was easy and we had a really nice, although much too short, visit with John, Dawn, and Mom. This morning we took Metro into DC to pick up our bikes, and started out right from the bike shop. The first 14 miles was on the Mt Vernon trail, a scenic wooded bike trail along the Potomac River with views of the Lincoln Monument across the water. With mostly overcast skies and a light breeze, it never felt hot, though apparently it was 82 or so today. We went right by Mt. Vernon, but chose not to stop in the interest of getting to our destination on the early side. The remainder of the ride included several miles through a quiet military fort and then many more through forgettable surbuban landscape. Tonight we're resting comfortably in a Courtyard Mariott and feeling fine. A great start!

A Correction

2009-06-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

So actually, we do have a pet. I thought by the time we left on our trip that we would be petless, and I jumped the gun a bit. A quick trip to the vet, and voila!

Jumpy Rascal is a mini lop-eared rabbit that lives in our basement. He was supposedly going to be a classroom rabbit, spending most of his time in K's 2nd-grade classroom, and only coming home on weekends. I was also told that average rabbit life expectancy was about 4 years. That was 11 years ago. Rascal was named by the 2nd-graders (but you probably already figured that out). At first he went to school regularly (only rarely staying overnight). Over time, he went less and less, and is now pretty much fully retired. He is deaf and blind, and according to the vet, one of the oldest bunnies he's seen in 16 years of practice.

Lucky for us, Rascal has his own personal physician who will be giving him his antibiotics and caring for him while we're away. Thanks Doc, we couldn't do this without you!

What On Earth?

2009-06-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

The basic plan is to cycle 3,857 miles from the Other Washington to Washington on fully loaded bikes, in 9 weeks. This a very ambitious timeframe given our current level of fitness, the generally unfavorable summer weather conditions over much of our route (at least to those of us acclimated to the Pacific Northwest), and our penchant for lazying about. One might wonder why we would undertake such a trip. Some might venture to ask. In fact, a work colleague delicately inquired, "And just HOW did you come up with this idea?" To us it seems obvious: why WOULDN'T you want to cross the country on a bike? We love to ride, we like to travel, and heck, neither of us has ever been to eastern Kentucky. For as long as we've know each other we've talked about riding cross-country SOME DAY. It never seems like the right time and there have always been a long list of reasons why we couldn't go that summer: it's a long time to take off from work, it's too much money, there are so many other things we should be doing, what would we do with the pets for that long...yada, yada, yada. Well, we're currently petless. More importantly, we've been reminded recently more than we care to think about that health and physical ability shouldn't be taken for granted. If we keep postponing the things that we most want to do until "the right time", we may miss the boat altogether. So, this is THE summer. Here we go. Hold on and enjoy the ride with us.