Day 14: A Relaxing Day Before the Big One!

Pocatello, ID to Idaho Falls, ID

65 miles with 760' of climbing

Once again, we were up at 4:30 after a 9-hour sleep. I feel like a new person! The congestion is diminished without taking the penicillin - hooray! We were warned to take it easy today, and we followed the advice. Tomorrow should be our toughest day of the ride thus far so we all need to conserve our energy. 

Drew, Gail, and I shoved off by 7:10. Shortly out of town, we picked up Ronit who is from Israel. She is here with her hammerhead husband. She was pretty downcast when I spoke with her yesterday because she needed to finish the day in the SAG van. As we passed her today, we encouraged her to jump on our line. She had never ridden in a pace line before, but she is a strong cyclist and learned the basics quickly. She stayed with us the entire day and finished with a big smile...

Approximately 30 miles into the ride, we caught our first glimpse of the foothills of Grand Tetons. We climb these tomorrow so everyone is both nervous and excited.

Today's average pace was 15.8 mph, which proved to be a very comfortable pace. We arrived in Idaho Falls at noon and went directly to a Chile's where I enjoyed my standard chocolate milk and salad. Entering the town, one can see where the city got its name....

Tonight is another 5:00 dinner, which doesn't give us much time for a pre-dinner glass of wine :-(.

Tomorrow, we ride 90 miles with 5,500 feet of climbing. Apparently, near the crest we climb for 2 miles  at an 11% and higher grade. For my non-cycling friends, that's steep! It should be an interesting post tomorrow night. Stay tuned.

Day 13: "Make peace with the wind"

Burley, ID to Pocatello, ID

86 miles with 1,200' of climbing

Once again, we were up at 4:30 with breakfast at 5:30 and on the road by 6:40 ( the last ones to leave). This is one time that I was thrilled to get an early start as the temperatures were due to surpass 100 degrees. While the clouds helped to keep the scorching rays at bay for most of the morning, we were punished by a stiff headwind during the entire 86 miles. Initially, we formed a group of 3, then 5, then 8. If you weren't in a pace line today, it was a brutal ride. One of our guides at dinner tonight said, "You need to make peace with the wind." Right now, I'm not in a zen-like mood. Perhaps, I'll  come to accept this sage advice as the weeks progress (seriously doubt it).

Besides the wind and the heat, there isn't much to say about the actual ride. We passed Register Rock in which the pioneers carved their name and date. We also saw fields of massive wind turbines.

Averaging 14.7 mph, we arrived in Pocatello by 1:30. We went directly to an Applebee's. At my urging, all 5 of us had chocolate milk as a recovery drink. Wow, did that taste good!

I then dashed to an Urgent Care facility to get an antibiotic for my cold/soon to be sinus infection. Then, I had to ride 5 miles to a pharmacy for the medication. I barely made it back for the 5:00 dinner.

It's now 8:15 p.m. and I'm ready for bed on a Saturday night. There are lots of firsts on this trip!

Day 12: The Scavenger Hunt

Twin Falls, ID to Burley, ID

42 miles with 1,150' of climbing

Thanks to all who those who sent messages to me about my cold. It's amazing what 9 hours of sleep will do. While I still have some congestion, I feel much better.

Today was actually a really fun day! We were told at loading that a scavenger hunt was to be held, whereas we searched for 15 items on our route to Burley. Teams were formed and the competition was on! Gail and I joined the 2 sisters and Amy who is from Kentucky. We called ourselves "the Spinning Spudmuffins" since we are in Idaho. Here we are.....

Shortly after leaving Twin Falls, we took a side route to see the Shoshone Falls. The view will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the trip.

While cycling the remaining miles to Burley, the 5 of us chatted about our personal lives, searched for scavenger items, and formed a pretty fast pace line. As we get to know the other participants, we are beginning to form some special friendships. Everyone has such an interesting story to tell! One man has lost 100 pounds, one man is recreating the trip that he took 30 years ago, and another person is finishing his last leg of cycling around the world.

After dinner tonight, the judges selected a winning team. Sadly, we were not chosen. However, we did get a lot of credit for our costumes (made from hotel laundry bags)! All in all, it was great day.

In case you are wondering about the heat wave that has been impacting this region, today was another hot one. Temperatures were 95+ degrees. Since we arrived before lunch, it did not bother us too much. However, we ride 86 miles to Pocatello tomorrow so I fully expect it to be a hot one.

Day 11: It was a long, hot day!

Mountain Home, ID to Twin Falls, ID

97 miles with 2,350' of climbing

If I don't quite sound like myself, it's because I picked up a cold and am spent from a long day in the saddle. While the morning ride was reminiscent of yesterday's fast pace lines, the afternoon became more laborious as the temperature started to climb. While it did not break 100, it exceeded 95 degrees. When it gets that hot, my feet feel like they are on fire. Even though I was lathered with sunscreen, the sun still finds a way to burn the skin. We learned a lot today about what to eat, clothes to wear, and precautions to take under these extreme conditions.

In terms of scenery, it was breathtaking. For a large portion of the day, we rode beside the Snake River. It amazed me to see how much irrigation is used. Obviously, potatoes is a chief crop and second to that is corn. We saw lots and lots of windmills! This picture shows the Snake River from the vantage point of a mountain....

We reached our destination of Twin Falls at 3:00. However, to enter the town, you have to cross a bridge which traverses a huge gorge called The Snake River Canyon. This is the canyon that Evil Knievel attempted to jump in 1974. He was unsuccessful, but his parachute saved him.

Our dinner was served at The Golden Corrall, which is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Once again, we ate about twice the amount of food that we normally do. 

Fortunately, tomorrow will be a light day. I need it!

Day 10: This is why I ride!

Boise, ID to Mountain Home, ID

53 miles with 1,400' of climbing

Today was a glorious day! We left Boise a little after 8:15 (a reasonable time). Before long, we were on isolated roads that were flat and fast. Almost immediately, the pace lines formed. At one time, there were 8 of us cruising at 22 m.p.h. for long stretches. Eventually, a group of 4 road for the last 20 miles into Mountain Home. This picture shows the expansive terrain with mountains in the distance. Note the beautiful blue sky with big, puffy clouds....

We arrived at our destination by 12:30 and immediately went to a Wendy's where I had a great salad and a frosty. I had no idea that Wendy's food was so yummy! Here are some of our fellow cyclists enjoying Wendy's cuisine as well.....

The afternoon was spent attending a bicycle clinic on drive trains and in cleaning and lubing our bikes. I am learning so much about general maintenance! Our bike chains have picked up so much dirt and grit from these country roads so we need to clean them every 2-3 days. The picture shows some fellow cyclists at the clinic....

Tonight, we head to the closest restaurant called AJ's where we will have a choice of 4 entrees. We love these nights because we aren't required to eat chicken and pasta (the standard fare). 

Tomorrow is supposed to be brutal. Temperatures will be in the 90's, we have 97 miles to ride, and we have more elevation to climb. I'm getting worried about the heat. Later this week, we are due to have 100+ degree days, and I don't do well in the heat. Hopefully, I will pick up some tips on how to cope with heat. 

Day 9: Rest Day

While I had envisioned sleeping until 8:00 (at least), the internal body clock was set for 5:30. So, I caught up on the online copy of the Wilmington news while Gail slept soundly. The morning was spent going to the bike shop, pharmacy, and hotel fitness room for some upper body exercises. After a healthy lunch at Whole Foods, several of us took a 2-hour narrated trolley car trip around Boise. We learned all about the geothermal pools, the gold discovery of 1862, and the Oregon Trail.

Here is a picture of the city of Boise ....

And our trolley....

After a dinner of salmon (our last seafood for awhile), we headed back to the room to prepare for nine days of cycling before another rest day. Believe it or not, everyone seems pretty eager to get back to the ride. Personally, I am rather enjoying the rest days. :-)

Day 8: One state down - nine to go!

Ontario,OR to Boise, ID

63 miles with 1,650' of climbing

Within the first mile of leaving the hotel, we crossed into the state of Idaho.

 It didn't take long for us to notice the change in the vegetation. From first impression, Idaho offers much better soli for planting crops. As we rode we were able to smell and see corn, beets, mint, onions, etc. The ride was really enjoyable as the temperature was in the 70s and the winds were light.

Here is a photo of two staff members who were monitoring our SAG stops. It's amazing how much food, especially peanut butter that we are eating!

We arrived in Boise a little after noon and met up with some of our fellow cyclists who were having lunch while watching Wimbledon. Just as we sat down, the rain started....close call!

In the photo above, that 's Brian on the left and Kees (pronounced Case) on the right. Brian is from Australia, and he is cycling around the world. Kees who is from the Netherlands is our strongest cyclist.

Tomorrow is our much deserved rest day. Hooray!!!! 

Day 7: Who turned on the heat?

Baker City to Ontario, Oregon

83 miles with 2,100' of climbing

We should have known that when the temperatures were balmy when we left our hotel at 7:30 that it would eventually get warm - even hot. Unfortunately, we are slow to learn how to dress for this western climate. Riding when it's warm is one thing, but riding in the warm desert is entirely different. Sometimes, your throat gets so dry that it's hard to swallow. Riding a bicycle becomes the easy part of the trip and battling the elements becomes your primary focus.

The course today was mostly flat, but there were two stretches totaling 11 miles where we had to ride on the interstate. Surprisingly, it's not against the law here. Riding I-84 was problematic due to all of the debris on the shoulder - glass, wire, tire shards, etc. impede your progress. Sure enough, I got a flat tire. However, it was a slow leak and not discovered until I was literally standing in front of the mechanics truck. How's that for good luck?!

Even though we are still in Oregon, we crossed into a new time zone - hooray! Communication with home has just become easier.

Undoubtedly, the best part of the day was our dinner tonight. We went to a restaurant that had a huge salad bar and served salmon. All of the 39 cyclists ordered salmon - our first seafood of the trip. The fresh spinach and fruit were manna from heaven. 

Tomorrow, we enter a new state and on Tuesday we have a rest day. We are almost giddy with excitement as to what we will do with this free time!

Day 6: The best day yet!

John Day to Baker City, OR

81 miles with 5,042 ' of climbing

After the tough day yesterday, we awoke to bright sunshine and cool temperatures. Since we were all suffering from hypothermia yesterday, we put on way too many clothes. It was almost comical to see the jackets come on and off all day. While climbing, people would shed, but the layers returned for the descents. We had 3 major climbs today - all above 5,000 feet of elevation. The climbs were gradual (about a 7% grade), but they were extremely long (approximately 6  - 8 miles). Of course, the pay-offs came with the long cruise down, flying at speeds over 35 mph. Our rest stops included blackberry cobbler at a cafe and a picnic by a lake. Once agin, the views were spectacular! Apparently, all of the rain yesterday produced snowfall in the mountains so we witnessed the snow-covered peaks throughout the day. We arrived in Baker City by 3:00 and went immediately to the pool and hot tub. We even squeezed in a glass of wine before dinner. Now, that my friends, was a great day!

Day 5: It wasn't easy!

Prineville to John Day, OR

116 miles with 5,000 feet of climbing

Well, we knew that this would be a tough day considering the distance and the climbs. However, we never factored in the steady rain and cold temperatures.  During yesterday’s RAP, we were told that the chance of rain would be 20%. Awesome! Unfortunately, 10 miles into the ride and the rain started. By the time that we reached the first summit, the temperature was in the 30’s. Of course, no one had the right apparel, and everyone was freezing especially on the descent. When we passed our first café in the town of Mitchell, the entire group of cyclists crowded into tiny shop in an effort to warm-up. It was a long, hard day, but there were some real positives. The first was a ride though a canyon that had the most beautiful rock formations. I wish that we had been able to stop at the John Day fossil beds, which are very famous in this area. The second positive was the group that formed today.  Gail, the 2 sisters, Drew and I formed a pace line that made the last 30 miles tolerable. There was singing, laughing, stops for coffee, and an upbeat attitude. Tonight’s dinner was at the Outpost where we, once again, consumed vast quantities of food. I wish that I could say that tomorrow looks easy, but it seems that we will be in for another hard day. I guess I’ll just have to think of a few good songs. Where’s Tom Harrigan when we need him?

This picture was taken during the only non-rain period of the day!

Day 4: Rest before battle

Kah-Nee-Ta to Prineville OR
60 miles with 3,300' of climbing

Today serves as our easy day before the most difficult day thus far. Wake-up time tomorrow will be 4:00 so that we can be ready for a 5:00 breakfast and van loading by 5:45. We will be riding 116 miles with 5,000 feet of climbing. Tension is in the air, and I can feel that some cyclists are having doubts. If all goes well, I will be able to report a successful day for everyone. You might send a few good vibes our way!
Now for today's ride...we left a wonderful resort (which we saw little of because we were so tired) at 7:30. The first part of the ride was on beautiful back roads with breathtaking views and little traffic. For me, it was one of my favorite portions to date. After the SAG stop at mile 30, we entered the highway again. This meant big trucks! For the last 30 miles, we rode single file into a head wind...not nearly as much fun. We arrived in Prineville and went directly to a Tastee Treat for lunch. Then, we were consumed with laundry, meetings, and bike mechanics - reminiscent of home. :-) Dinner was held at the restaurant next door where we dined with 3 of the 7 tour guides. It was so interesting to find out about their personal lives and the history of the company.

This picture was taken at the top of one of our many climbs. Note the snow covered peaks of Jefferson Mountain in the background and the contrasting desert terrain in the foreground.

Day 3: Entering the reservation

Welches to Kah-Nee-Ta, OR
66 miles with 5,150' of climbing

Well, the weather Gods are still with us! We woke up this morning at 5:00 our new “normal time” fully expecting the rain that we saw when we retired last night.  While the roads were still wet, the precipitation had stopped, but the temperature was chilly.  We loaded our luggage in the van and rode about 2 miles to a great breakfast spot called The Whistle Stop. After a huge breakfast of pancakes, eggs and fruit we began our 13-mile ascent up the mountain.  Today, we were able to show our fellow cyclists that although Delaware is a flat state, we can climb!! I think that some of the guys were surprised when they heard “on your left” as we climbed past them.  By the time that we arrived at the top where there was a SAG stop, the temperature was 31 degrees and windy. We were severely underdressed and the deep, teeth shattering chill never subsided until we reached the bottom. The most interesting thing about today’s ride was the change of vegetation. We left a temperate rain forest and entered the high desert complete with sagebrush.  After an awesome tail wind for the last 16 miles, we arrived at our resort, which is part of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Relatively speaking tomorrow should be a light day with only 60 miles. The first stop upon arrival will be the Laundromat! 

We've just descended about 6 miles, cruising at 38 mph. Note the desert background and interesting 

rock formations.

Day 2: Riding along the Columbia River

St. Helens to Welches, OR
75 miles with 3,150' of climbing

Today, our journey followed the Columbia River, offering picturesque views of the vast river, house boats, and marshland. We were so fortunate in that the predicted rain did not materialize until tonight so it was another glorious day weather wise. Gail and I were held up at the start due to a few mechanical issues on Gail's bike so we tried to catch the others, moving along at about a 20 mph pace. That rate quickly dropped once we hit our first climb. In fact, today I experienced the longest climb of my life with a twenty-mile climb. Eventually, we joined some others for a wonderful ride along a bike path.

Lunch came around 1:00 when we stopped at Calamity Jane's (an authentic Western cafe that was showing episodes of Bonanza on TV).
Currently, it is pouring and the rain is predicted for most of the day tomorrow. The 13-mile ascent/descent out of town should be interesting - wish us luck!

Day 1: And so it begins...

Astoria to St. Helen's OR
68.9 miles with 3,250' of climbing

The morning started for us at 5:00 with an hearty breakfast shortly after. We then gathered for the group photo before shoving off to St. Helen's.

The weather couldn't have been any better, starting in the 60's then warming to the 70's. The ride leader said that it was the nicest weather at the start in all of his years of leading rides. The 2 climbs were long but manageable with about a 7% grade. Gail and I rode well, arriving at the second SAG stop with only  2 cyclists ahead of us. (Then again, several of the hammerheads did stop for coffee which slowed their pace.)
The highlight of the day was our lunch stop. When a tiny Asian woman who owns a deli found out that we were riding across the country, she wanted to treat us to lunch. She proceeded to show us pictures of her grandchildren ... just a delightful woman!
Gail and I arrived in St. Helen's by 1:00. After a trip to the local supermarket and happy hour in our room, we joined our fellow cyclists for a pasta/pizza dinner. All in all, it was a fantastic start to our journey.

Day 0

Today was our orientation day, when we were introduced to the staff and fellow cyclists, assembled our bikes (actually, watched the mechanic assemble them), and rode our bikes 15 miles to the Pacific Ocean. Our bikes made the trip unscathed thanks to Rob Garrison who did an incredible job with packing. In fact, one guide remarked that she had never seen a bike so well packed.
Our group of riders has descended to Astoria from all corners of the world. There are 3 from Israel, 1 from Australia, 1 from China, 2 from the Netherlands, and several from Canada. While the ages range from the early twenties to seventy, the average age is around 60. From my first impression, Gail and I will probably become close to a pair of sisters from Nevada and Arizona. Tonight will be an early-to-bed night as we are still functioning on East coast time. Our journey begins tomorrow so I am filled with excitement, anxiety, and gratitude for being here.

Step by step

We are heading to Astoria on a 3-hour bus ride after a long day of travel. It's pretty easy to spot our fellow cyclists from the other passengers. There are about seven men who are close to our age and one young girl who is a senior at Northwestern. She applied for a grant to write about the experience so her trip is fully funded - now, that's the way to go!

It was tough to say good-bye at the airport....

It was approximately one year ago that our friend Clint Cuny suggested that we ride our bikes across the country. He followed the suggestion by saying, "Who's in?" Immediately, I glanced to my good friend and cycling partner Gail and responded, "If Gail is in, I'm in." Hence, the seed was planted!

While in the planning stages, we learned about a wonderful charity called the Mike Clark Legacy Foundation. It supports children who attend the Wilmington Boys and Girls Club by providing mentoring, technology, nurturing, and support. For those who are unaware, Mike Clark was a renown athlete who completed several Ironman triathlons. He was an inspiration to many local runners and cyclists. Additionally, he gave freely of his time at the Boys and Girls Club. Unfortunately, his life was cut short when he was in the prime of his life. It is an honor to ride for this amazing charity.
If you are interested in supporting our ride with a donation, please go to:
www.bikeformikeskids.com

Welcome to my blog!

In just a few short days, I will be embarking on the trip of a lifetime - cycling across America! It will take 50 days. On Sunday, June 16th we will leave from Astoria, Oregon. If all goes well, we will arrive in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on August 5th. Please join me via this blog on this exciting adventure. Undoubtedly, it will be a physical, emotional, and spiritual journey. Most importantly, it should be fun!

*I would like to dedicate this blog to my husband Frank who has been a source of constant support for me. You're the best, Frankie!