Peace, I had done (Nov 27th)

Last night I looked down and realized that my coat's entire front had become crusted with white ice.

I stopped under an overpass and beat the coat against the wall for a bit, but the ice wouldn't break off.  So I bivouacked under a pine tree a short distance from there, not too far west of Alexandria, Ohio.

There was too much ice on my boots to easily get them off, so I scraped off what I could with a knife and slept with them on until they started to thaw (dangerous business that).  Once they loosened up, I removed them, threw them into a plastic bag, then took off my cotton jeans and used them to soak up the little bit of moisture that had leaked off the boots into the bivvy (turns out cotton is good for something after all).  I had already removed my overcoat.

The bivvy is warm enough, I was wearing enough woolen undergarments (especially on my legs), and I timed it right so that I didn't get soaked or cold, and my bedroll stayed more or less dry all night.  I was warm and cozy, but still, dangerous business that. 

I put the bag with my boots in them back into the sack so they wouldn't freeze.

This morning my red overcoat was frozen as stiff as old rawhide.  The bike's brakes still work, but the shifters are caked with ice and unresponsive.  The bike path through Granville towards Newark and Newcomers is choked with snow.

So I took the slushy roads fifteen miles as the crow flies (but closer to 20 or 25 as the biker rides) to the town square in Newark.

Winter has been nipping at my heels state by state since I left Idaho.  There was a dusting of snow on my tires on Halloween, but I outran it.  Well, it has finally caught me.  Perhaps I could press on.  Home is less than 300 miles from here, even biking; Pittsburgh and my mother's school apartment only about half that far.

But it's Thanksgiving tomorrow, and a few snow sodden days of biking seem poor trade compared to a holiday with the clan. 

So it is, with a surprisingly light heart and in my last set of dry clothes, that I hereby declare my journey over.

Katelynn is meeting me here in Newark at the "Simply Rising" cafe and bakery where I am treating her to lunch.  I will be riding home with her this evening.

It may seem a shame to come so far only to fail on the last leg before home.  The funny thing is, though, I don't feel like I've failed at all.  Quite the opposite, in fact, though I'm not sure exactly why.  Sorry to let you all down one last time, but in the end this was something I was doing for me (wasn't it?). 

I don't know how many thousands of miles I've travelled.  My phone won't tell me (It's fritzing again), so I will have to tally that up later.  I need to tally up the donations as well, send out a few personalized thank-yous, and see that I donate an equal amount, myself, to nonprofits as promised.  I'm still thinking Chestnuts and maybe Rails-to-Trails.  I'm giving myself six months to make said donation(s), but I should be able to afford them much earlier than that if the tutoring in early 2014 goes well.  So there will be one or two more posts sometime in the future just to complete things.

I don't know what else to say.  I'm going home friends.  It's not far.  The thought of it makes my heart swell.  Thank you all for following with me.  Be well; be warm.

Peace, I had done.

The storm.

Rough storm last night. Had to bivvy early.  Managed to stay mostly dry and warm, though.  More about it later. Trying to make mileage now.

Heading for Home. (Ohio, nov 25th)

Winter has been right behind me state by state.  I think it's about to catch me.

I biked yesterday after (hopefully) fixing my phone and didn't stop until 6 am.  The cold didn't seem to bother me much.  I'm in Ohio now; Dayton to be exact.  There are many good bike paths in Ohio and I aim to follow them again until as late as I can keep going. 

I've taken to waking late so that I can eat lunch buffets for breakfast and then biking long ways when the traffic is low to nill.

A fellow at Rob's diner in Brookville called me inspiring this morning.  Then a woman named Cathy (not the one from Rossville,  a different Cathy) bought me breakfast, and a Veteran in the men's room talked to me about Korea and gave me a ten to help me on my way.

I don't know how inspiring I am, and I never ask for these hand outs.  Usually someone sees the bike helmet and starts asking questions.  All I do is talk: Tell them how I came to be here, and how good I feel, and how much I thoroughly (even desperately) want to be home.  People are kind, it would seem.

Right now I am letting my phone get a good charge and resting up before another hard push.  I need to try to cross Ohio before the snow hits too hard.  I've made it this far, though. 

If the weather shuts me down, that's okay.  I feel like I left the old anxieties somewhere in the Idaho Deserts.  I'm ready to be home. :)

Slow going.

The weather slowed me in Illinois, and my equipment has been giving me trouble in Indiana.

After I wore a hole clean through my rear rubber (leaving Illinois) my phone then started fritzing.  The Verizon guy said it's probably because I took too many photos and used up most of the memory.  So currently I am uploading said photos to the cloud, a slow process that is costing me a lot of mileage, but hopefully one that will fix the problem.

After all, I use this phone not only for photos and updating this blog, but also to find restaurants, crosscheck maps, and keep an eye on the wind and weather.  It is the source of most of my information and when it isn't functioning I am riding a bit blind.  Granted, I can improvise (and have) when the phone was down or out of batteries, but I don't like to be out of contact for long.

I guess I don't mind taking things easy today, being that it has grown mighty cold out, but honestly the cold hasn't really bothered me yet (so long as I am pedaling with the wind). 

On the plus side the Verizon guy gave me a free, rechargeable external battery (and was awesome to talk to) and the people of the town of Advance were very nice company (My phone died, so I went east until I saw their water tower, steered for it, and used the computer in their library to reorient myself).

In other news, I have also upgraded my visibility.  I have gotten a bigger, brighter blinker for the back of the bike and have a bright construction worker vest covering my pack.  There were too many people getting too close for my liking as they came up behind me.  The vest seems to have done the trick, but I still stay off of state highways now as if they were the interstate (because they might as well be the interstate at this point).

The guy at Dunums gave me a huge discount on the safety gear. :)

The sleep sack still keeps me toasty warm at night even at single digit temperature. :)

Indiana

Rossville is a wonderful place.

The Mayor, who introduced himself as Dick Queen, recommended a little cafe on the edge of town, known as Merita's.  My server, whose name is Katherine (or maybe Catherine), just bought me breakfast out of the blue. I was just telling stories as I normally do.

And she called me "kiddo" :)

I'm really starting to like this town.

Nov. 22nd.

I'm still in Illinois friends.  I waited the better part of the last two days for the storms to pass.  I read two novels cover to cover sitting in a bookstore and later a library.

The rain let up last night about seven or eight and I biked long through the fog and mist (some 40 or 50 miles extra miles in the eerie gray oblivion).  I often could barely see the road, but the path was easy, there was no traffic, and the night felt warm. 

I made the last town before the border, Hoopeston it's called, and I would have kept going but I ran into a hitch.  I have finally worn the rubber of my tires clean through. 

There is a hole the size of a quarter in my rear tire now.  I can see the hard "tuffy" strip poking through but still protecting the tire from a blowout.

I have seen no bike shop for at least 100 miles and it was another 50 miles to the next one in Layfayette, Indiana.  So I have decided to turn south some 23 miles out of my way to reach a closer shop in Danville.

The rain caught up with me, though, in the wee hours of the morning, so I took shelter in a small park in Rossville Illinois.

I was woken this morning by the mayor of Rossville.  He brought me coffee. :)

Illinois (Nov 21st)

Illinois is a fine State to bike in.  The back roads are straight, paved, plentiful, and with almost no traffic.

Lots of storms though, and the wind is usually across me, so my progress is slow.  The storms are supposed to pass by tomorrow morning; then the weather is supposed to get cold.  I'm tempted to bike in the rain some but my rain gear, though superb when I am camping, is only marginally effective while I am riding.

Perhaps its best I take it easy for a day or two, though.  I've started to develop that numbness in the hands that long distance cyclists sometimes suffer from.  I read that it comes from too much pressure on the hands, usually due to a poor bike fit.  I had my seat raised a while back and readjusted the handlebars.  This has helped tremendously, but a slight numbness persists, particularly in my right hand.

Ah well.  Once I get home I'll rest my hands plenty for a week or so at least.  I noticed a similar numbness just before reaching Pat and Brandi's.  A few days of no biking back then and it went away fast enough.

Peoria

In Peoria they gave me a giant mug of espresso.  I aim to bike long tonight and maybe get ahead of some of these storms.

Caterwauling

Well, nothing ate me during the night, but that was some serious caterwauling right near camp.

The various howling and rustling and hoofbeats throughout the night weren't bad, but that feline screeching was something else.   It was worse than a fox wail.

Oh well, maybe it was just a bobcat.

Camped Out

Camped out in a little patch of woods in Illinois and evidently so is everything else.  Have heard deer, squirrel, and coyote nearby, Very nearby...and what may or may not have been a mountain lion.  Oh well, google says less than 1 fatal attack in the entire US every five years.  Might as well get some sleep.

Burlington Iowa (sept 18th)

Yesterday (sept. 17), after waiting most of the morning for those heavy storms to pass, I hit an all you can eat buffet, did about five plates worth of damage, and still made Burlington, which is on the Mississippi river.  I've slept 6 times in Iowa, one more than Nebraska in fact.

Of course I was dodging storms, visiting museums, meeting with coffee clubs, and zig zagging all over back roads.  Seriously, you get on a back road in this state and it goes straight for 15 miles, hangs a perfect right angle, and heads either due north or due south for the next 5 or 10.  In addition, the first sleep and the last were both right near the rivers.  So, in reality I only biked Iowa for 5 days.

I'm off to a purposely slow start again today.  There is a YMCA here (in Burlington) not far from a laundromat.  So, in celebration of reaching the mighty Mississippi, I grabbed a long hot shower at the Y (my first since Wamsutter Wyoming) and am now washing my clothing and gear.

I, my clothing, and my sleep gear were all surprisingly non-smelly (except for a few pairs of my socks, which reeked).  I attribute the lack of odor to the fact that I have been using paper towels soaked with skin cleaners, good sage oil deodorant, and talcum powders to take "poor man's" showers nearly every day.  Still, it feels good to be good and thoroughly clean.

The ladies at the Y wanted to introduce me to the local paper, but I politely declined.  I didn't want to deal with any mistaken reporting like last time.  (They tried, but there is a lot of important detail to this story.). Maybe I'll feel differently the next time I'm offered.  Who can say.

After this, it's off to another buffet, then maybe to a grocery store, and then over the River. 

Next stop, Illinois.

Bike Shop Vince

Iowa so Far (Sept 13 through Sept 16)

After my excitement near Omaha (Trinidad called me a day or two ago to see how I was) I treated myself to the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs (I went mostly for the penny crusher to get some souvenirs for Miss Katelynn Earnest).  After that I picked up the Wabash Trace bike trail, rode it to the town of Malvern, picked up route 34, and kinda stalled out.  It turns out that Iowa highways don't really have berms, at least not very large or very consistent ones.  I plugged on east till I got to a truck stop near the town of Emerson that first day before making camp.

The next morning, while having coffee at said truck stop at a table in the back and looking at my maps, I made the acquaintance of the "Unofficial Emerson Ladies' Morning Coffee Club".

These six wonderful women not only gave me good company for what must have been at least two hours of conversation, one of them actually drove home and obtained for me a copy of the Iowa State Cyclist's Map.

I had tried with limited success to download the map to my phone.  The paper copy has been invaluable, as it shows each road by amount of traffic and berm width.  It also shows all of Iowa's bike trails.

Since then I have been picking my way along the paths and back roads of 34, occasionally riding for a few miles on the loose gravel berm of 34 itself when faced with little alternative.  When traffic is light, I sometimes take to the paved lanes of 34 but prefer not to if possible.

This has slowed my progress some but I've made Ottumwa now with only about 80 miles or so more to the Mississippi.  The storms ended up all missing me today (Nov 16) but the wind is strong so I thought I would finish my writings from this morning anyway.  Ride when the weather is good, I guess, and write when it's rough.

The weather isn't that rough, though, and it's quite warm despite the strong wind (a southern crosswind for those wondering), so I feel the need to get going.  I'm hoping to make at least Fairfield tonight or maybe even Mount Pleasant, but Iowa is often slow going (lots of very hilly back roads).

Less than 1000 miles to home! More posts soon. :)

The Omaha Bicycle Co. (Sept. 12)

I ended up at Omaha Bicycle Co. at 6015 Maple Street in Omaha.  There my bike was serviced by Vince Asta, a man with a mustache so epic it once made the local paper.

He and a young lady named Sarah Johnson (possibly related to the cop? I forgot to ask) fixed me up with coffee, baked goods, and a new rear rim.

Trinidad asked me if I was good for money before he left.  He struck me as the sort of guy who works hard for his money and doesn't have a lot to spare.  I've been there myself, so I told him not to worry about it.

Vince and Sarah told me the repairs would be about $100.00 but by the time I was done telling stories, they knocked it down to $58.00.  Just parts, really.  Vince even went so far as to take the rim off of another bike since he didn't have the part needed on hand.

They told me a few stories of their own, gave me some route advice through the city, and if I ever go through Omaha again you can be sure I'm dropping in to see them.  Take care, you guys, and thanks again. :)

Thought for the day: Evidently the wheel was the only thing damaged.  Makes sense as the bike was still upright when it was hit.  I must have just made it out of there, though.

A bit of excitement, explained.

I'm over halfway through Iowa now (Nov 16), but there is a storm coming this morning so I have decided to hunker down for an hour or two, let the rain pass, and get some writing done.

Let's start with the evening of Nov 12.  I had biked from my last Nebraska camp in Schuyler, gone through Fremont, and was on route 36 heading for Bennington and North Omaha.

Then I was hit by a car.

The man who hit me goes by the name of Trinidad, and it really wasn't his fault.  Two vehicles ahead of him someone turned without signaling making the vehicle ahead of him slam on the brakes, leaving Trinidad with a choice of either swinging into oncoming traffic or swinging onto the berm.  Given the angle and the other vehicles, he couldn't see that I was on the berm until it was too late.

Then I was hit by the car. 

Scratch that.  The bike was hit by a car.  I evidently made some wild leap at the last second, and, after flying through the air, landed safely on my feet just beyond the accident.  I like to imagine I soared like an eagle but I'm pretty sure it looked more like the wild flailings of someone who just shouldn't be on the high dive to begin with.

I say "evidently I leapt" because its hard to remember exactly.  I heard the screeching brakes, looked behind me, and time slowed down.

"That car is about to hit me," I recall thinking.

Then time sped up. 

The next clear memory I have is me standing beside the car with that thrill one gets as death or injury is narrowly evaded.

Trinidad was incredibly apologetic and very glad that I was okay.  I rode the bike a few yards to see if it was still working properly (he hit it square on the back tire and it launched forward like a spring) and everything seemed good.  Trinidad gave me his number just in case and I gave him mine.  He reassured me several times that I could call him if anything went wrong.

Trinidad drove off then, and I swear I didn't make it ten yards before I noticed the rear wheel was rubbing the brakes.  I flipped the bike over, spun the wheel, and sure enough it was bent.  I probably would have noticed sooner but the adrenaline was still going.

About this time Officer Johnston (or was it Johnson) showed up.

"Pardon me, Sir, but were you just hit by a car?"

"Yes Sir, that was me."

I explained to him what had happened, reassured him that I was not in need of medical attention, and told him I was just about to call Trinidad and see if he would give me a ride to the nearest bike shop.

File this use of motorized transport under "life threatening circumstances" or "compliance with local authorities" because neither the officer nor myself wanted to see me carry a busted bike ten or fifteen miles into town.

Long story short, I called Trinidad, called a few bike shops, and got a ride where I needed to go. 

Officer Johnston let me sit in the heated cruiser until Trinidad arrived and even held a light for us (it was getting dark by then) as we took the wheels off and put the bike into Trinidad's back seat.

The shop I ended up at not only served coffee and baked goods but was also staffed by awesome people.  More on this next post. :)

Thought for the day: Leaping high and clear of imminent automotive wrecks makes one feel awesome regardless of the amount of flailing involved.

A bit of excitement.

A bit of excitement before leaving Nebraska today.  Its going to take some telling though, so it'll have to wait till morning.  Going to sleep for now.

In Iowa.

I slept five times in Nebraska.  One more than what I estimated due to that cold snap yesterday (Nov 11; I only went 25 miles that day.)

I'm only just over the Missouri river tonight (in Council Bluffs), so I'm guessing at least three more sleeps in Iowa after this one.  We shall see.

The Missouri River

Corn mountains.

Because according to Nebraska a town isn't really a town without a few corn mountains.

The granary is easily the biggest structure in every town I've passed. 

There are corn kernels mixed with the gravel in the cracks in the road.

Sometimes a truck will pass and I can smell the fermented corn mash.

Nov. 9th, 10th, and today.

After my mighty 150 mile run, I took the next day easy (some 60 miles), ate plentifully, and went to sleep early.  I might have gone further but my chain developed a slackness I was unable to correct.

Yesterday, (Nov 10th) the wind was sometimes with me and rarely against.  I pulled 120 miles exactly (marker 250 to 370).  This put me in the little town of Duncan just a few miles from Columbus Nevada.  It was a good day.

I would have left the state today (Nov 11th) giving me 4 sleeps in Nebraska; however the weather took an abrupt shift.

The cold north wind made itself known.The temperature dropped from about 50 degrees to near 11 with the wind chill.  Even sitting in this cantina in Schuyler, I can feel the cold seeping in through the glass on the doors and windows.  Makes me shiver.

The forecast said it was coming so I took the day to get my bike tuned up (two broken spokes and a new chain) and then called it quits after a hard fought 25 miles.  The wind was brutal even as a crosswind, and absolutely devastating when it was against me.

I just ate some giant tamales, cooked in the husk and am looking forward to my bivvy tonight.  There is something very wonderful about being out in the freezing cold, yet being warm and comfy.  It makes it easy to hibernate.

I'm not worried about being cold tonight with all the wool and the sleep sack I'm packing, though I may not rise as early tomorrow.

The wind is supposed to die down considerably tomorrow and by Wednesday it will warm up to about 50 and sunny again.  Not sure if I will leave Nebraska tomorrow or Wednesday.

Ogallala , Ogallala, golly what a day.

The night of November 7th I camped just a mile or so east of Northport.  I decided to get a long rest and see just how far an early start and a lot of coffee could take me.

Yesterday, November 8th, saw me clear past Ogallala, back onto route 30, past Sutherland and North Platte, to a field a little outside of the small town of Maxwell Nebraska.  Estimated distance for the day is just over 150 miles.

It was a slight downhill grade and with the wind for much of it.  Even so, I did finally get tired.  I had a few steep climbs and crosswinds for about 20 miles near Ogallala. 

I pedalled long after dark and crossed a time zone in there somewhere.  The night was clear and full of stars.  There is a little town (some of them very little) every 10 or 15 miles along this river, and the land is so broad and flat, I could often see the glow or even the lights of the next town as soon as I left whatever one I was in.  It got a little surreal sometimes when the coffee ran low and I watched, bit by bit, those distance lights creep slowly towards me.

When I finally did sleep, I slept well and an hour or two later than usual this morning. Most any aches or stiffness I might have had seem to have disappeared during my rest.

It's sunny and warm and downhill again today.  I'm eager to be off.

(Extra points if you get the song reference in today's title.)

Shortcuts

Nebraska Sunset and Buffalo

Nebraska (nov 7)

Nebraska is rolling hills, grassland, and corn.  The irrigation rigs are still many, but its not dessert dry like the last three States have mostly been.

It's still Autumn here, and the corn harvest is not yet finished.  I feel I have left winter behind me in the mountains, at least for now.

Have made Northport (Bridgeport) some 70 miles from Torrington.  Going to try for a few more miles yet tonight.  Wind was sometimes with me, sometimes against.  Tomorrow's forecast is sunny and with the wind.

8 Nights in Wyoming.

Fair thee well, Wyoming.  It was fun getting to know you.

Leaving canyon country.

Hit Douglas yesterday (the 5th).  Just a short day, 40 or 50 miles, but quite a but was on back roads.

Am in Guernsey now (65 miles or so).  Hit a few hills today and had to fight the wind for a bit when the road twisted and turned.

Will try to get near Torrington tonight.

All the storms missed me. :)

Should be leaving canyon country soon and getting into the great flatlands.

I've been through the dessert on a bike with no name.

I am looking for suggestions on what to name the bicycle.

My scarf has been dubbed "The Scarf of Destiny" but also goes by the name of "Scarf Russo".

Any ideas for the bike?

(The picture is from the hills near Alcova).

Casper and Onwards (Nov 5)

I made it to the outskirts of Casper last night.  All in all about 110 miles, a new personal best.

The track through the great divide basin was cold, desolate, and troubled by a crosswind.  The first town I was aiming for, Lamont, really isn't there anymore.  It consisted of one closed cafe, a single dog, and a few trailers; a ghost town in the making.

After that, though, it was (mostly) downhill following the North Platte River.  A trend that should continue the rest of Wyoming and all the way through Nebraska. 

The hills near Alcova are beautiful, and the single restaurant/bar there is still open.

Right now, I am in a cafe in Casper (my first city in a while) waiting for the phone to charge and drinking coffee.

Over the next two or three days I aim to pass through Glenrock, Douglas, Guernsey, Torrington, and Scottsbluff, all along the river.

The mountains are behind me now, though I can still see them.  Time to see how the plains treat me. :)

Nov 4rth

Made 87 miles to Alcova today.  Still have some daylight. Headed for Casper.  might make it tonight.  :)

Mr. Mike Willard (Nov. 3rd)

Joy's father Mike caught up with me in Rawlins this evening.

Excellent sort of fellow.

He bought me diner and provided me with some great company.  I haven't been this full since the tater tot incident in Blackfoot.  (You can ask Joy or Cousin Mike about that one).  We talked maps and routes for a bit.  He even called his uncle up for dome extra local information.

When we parted, he told me to give him a ring if the night got too cold, but he didn't seem to think it odd when I told him I had already scouted a good windbreak nearby to spread out my bivvy.  I like that. 

Maybe its because he's from Wyoming and therefore knows its not really THAT cold tonight.  Not if you have the right gear anyway.

So I'm nestling down in my sack feeling warm, fed, and cozy.  G'night all :)

Rawlins before the storm.

Made Rawlins via some more back roads today about 3:30pm.

Snow storm followed soon after.

Decided to go no further this evening/night.

Debating whether to bunker down and wait for warmer weather Wednesday or just take a few low mile on pavement days.

Thinking of heading slightly north through Lamont and Alcova towards Casper and lower elevations.

So far have been warm and comfy in Wyoming, even while traveling.

Somewhere near the great divide. (Nov 2)

Sights from today. (Nov 2)

Wamsutter (Nov. 2nd)

Hard to stay off of the interstate today. 

Took absurd off road trails.

Was on dirt roads, packed roads, unpacked roads, sand roads, gravel roads, red gravel roads, less than 1 mile of pavement, and a road that wasn't so much a road as just a place where the sage didn't grow as high.

Made about 40 miles round a bout and ended in Wamsutter.  Have a lead on a path that will get me to Rawlins tomorrow.  No time estimates yet.  We will see how this next "road" looks.

Saw many free range horses, antelope, and a herd of some 40 or 50 elk (maybe more) moving fast south along the sage land. Was magnificent to see.

I crossed over the great divide into the great divide basin today somewhere along a rough cow path.  It looked like a little hill to me.

Met Jim and Wayne in Wamsutter.  Are up from Georgia building apartments for the oil employees here.  Was offered shower and place to sleep in their camper.  Had me at 'shower'. 

Jim tells me there is only one two-story building in town.  They are building a second one.  They town does have a post office, grocery store, and two cafes though.  Lots of trailers and oil money here.

Wyoming has finally started looking flat.  High and flat and very sandy.

Table Rock (Nov 1st, after nightfall)

Have reached sparse country near Table Rock about half way between Rock Springs and Rawlins.

Made good time despite late start.  Had to go over gear and resupply before leaving Rock Springs.

Estimate of 65 miles today over rough terrain.

Have found cozy spot out in sage.  No moon.  Perfectly clear sky.  Many stars.

Should make Rawlins tomorrow evening/night at latest.