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Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Day 27 - Hutchinson, KS to La Crosse, KS - 115 miles
woo wee boy, it was a long and hot one.
I was up before 6am and on the road by 7, escaping the wandering rangers. After a few hours I found myself in Sterling, KS where hunger was on my mind. I stopped in at the Sterling Cafe and enjoyed my breakfast as well as someone else's. The waitress had mis-delivered food to me and although I knew the order was wrong, I didn't want to be picky, so I just chowed it. Eventually she said she had given me the wrong b-fast and that mine was on the way. Sweet - 2 breakfasts. During the course of the meal, the waitress and I had become pals, talking about this and that, but oddly enough the cause didn't even come up. I asked her how much I owed and she just said, "it's paid for." "Wait, how'd that happen?" I asked. Apparently while I was washing my hands, someone had paid for it and left. yeah buddy!! but still, I honestly don't feel I deserve such treatment, but I definitely appreciate it when it goes down. Thanks anonymous!
My original plan was to head to a wildlife refuge just outside of Great Bend, KS and post up in their campground for the night. The temperature was 98 degrees in Great Bend at 5pm and suddenly a Dairy Queen appeared so of course I stopped for some cooling ice cream. I rode through said refuge but somehow missed the campground and wound up far on the other side of the park at the exact opposite entrance I had come in. So, I decided to stay there for the night. I unpacked everything and set-up, using the hot sun to dry everything that had gotten soaked in the tall grass from the night before.
After a short conversation with my ma back in CO, I became jazzed to keep moving. There was just too much daylight left to not continue on. I packed everything up, no dry, and rode to the next town. The sun was setting as I rolled in but I knew I had at least 30 miles left in me. I sat down, ate some dinner, and began riding again.
Yes, the wind had died down, the temps dropped, but the bugs came out in full force. Apparently the bugs know when it's time to come out as well. Pretty sure I swallowed some flies, mosquitos, anything with wings really. I cruised well into the night, watching for animal crossings and pulling over for approaching cars. There's no telling who's behind the wheel and what state they're in out in the country where cops don't exist. Riding at night is actually quite nerve racking. I mean, you can't really see the road that well with only a headlamp, you don't know if the person in a car wants to rob you or perhaps just run into you and you can't see what the weather is doing in the distance. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous out there by myself.
At about 11:30 I found a baseball diamond in La Crosse off the main road where I camped out for the night. As I moved about getting everything set, I noticed a skunk walking towards me, just to check me out i'm sure. At first I thought to grab my sleeping bag and get the hell out. But then I said to myself, stop being a sissy and scare that thing off. So I raised up, stomped my feet and made noise. The skunk paused for a moment, turned around and wandered off. I'm sure I smelled just as bad as that skunk though.
Hooray for squatting.
Day 26 - Belle Plaine, KS to Hutchinson, KS - 75ish miles
Alright, alright...catching up here.
Today was fairly uneventful. The sun was hot, the wind was blowing (per usual), and I just rode. The distance was fairly short so I didn't get started till nearly 11am as I was really enjoying hanging with family. But after some steak and eggs, I departed.
It wasn't the fastest ride on account of the wind - unless I was heading north, then I flew. When the wind is coming from the south it's obviously not as tough as a head wind but it does slow you down a fair bit. Also makes you lean sideways so you don't get blown over which I guess would look hilarious.
I rolled into Hutchinson whilst the sun was still high in the sky, a rarity on this ride. And then, like a beacon of hope, I saw a giant bell. A bell that houses delicious food that sometimes triggers chronic-D. But this time, no D occurred and my taste buds danced amongst cheesy, crunchy, chickeny, tortilla-y goodness. After my second trip to the counter a woman asked "So, what are you riding for?" I turned around, surprised, "Lymphoma....etc".....you know the deal.
Well I ended up talking to this woman, Victoria, and her son for two hours. I pretty much heard her life story, and one piece of it i will share. Victoria had a prosthetic leg due to being run over by a car nearly 19 years ago. Sounds rough right? Well, the killer is that some asshole did it on purpose. It's ok to feel like shit at this moment. I know I did. Victoria had definitely come to terms with it and accepted it and was even jovial about the whole deal. I guess after 19 years you would have to come to terms, huh? Talk about adversity. Losing a leg, tough. Riding a bike everyday, easy.
Well as darkness approached I headed over to Sand Hills State Park to set-up camp. Welp, it wasn't so easy to find the campground, so under the cover of night I found a hiking trail. I wheeled my rig down the trail a bit, found a nice large bush and set-up camp behind it. I'm pretty sure the rangers would've been pissed. Sneaky sneaky.
Day 25 - rest day in Belle Plaine, KS
I hadn't seen my Aunt Diann for nearly 3 years so it made sense to rest for a day and just chill out. My cousin was also there, Brad, with his two girls, ages 12 and 10 - rascals. Aunt Diann is truly a bad-ass lady - makes great food, can fix just about anything, use to run some mean barrels and is absolutely as nice as can be and full of life and energy.
We had a leisurely morning, full of eating of course, and Brad, the girls and I headed to the local water park. Wow, i felt old and a bit creepy. The pool was full of teenagers, kids and parents. Not a whole lot of 20 somethings to be found. Brad played with his kids so I posted up in the lazy river and just stared into the sky, resting. All around me were kids and if you haven't noticed I have a bit of a hobo beard going, which sorta makes me look homeless. If i'm not on a bike or wearing the attire, I kinda look like I wandered in off the street. I'm not sure if anyone thought anything of my presence, but honestly I was a bit self-conscious in there. Just imagine if you saw a bum floating in the lazy river. You may be a bit concerned, right? Either way it was nice to be in some cool water.
The rest of the day was filled with some great conversation and catching up. I definitely learned a few more things about my pops that I didn't know before. It's always great to hear stories about your folks from when they were younger and loved to party and travel and have adventures.
After traveling 300+ miles in three days it was great to get a day of rest in and not burn away more of my skeleton physique. The next day, I am Colorado bound. booyah.
Day 24 - Toronto, KS to Belle Plaine, KS - 100+ miles
Holy S@!T, it was windy today.
I was up early and riding, stomach on empty, wind coming from the south. After a fairly long 20ish miles I wound up in Eureka. All i wanted was food and the first spot I saw was a Sonic. I'm pretty sure that was the only food establishment in the town. I actually see Sonics everywhere, but you won't catch me drinking those fruity bevs they serve. No thank you. As you may notice, Sonic is set-up for the automobile, not a bike. I had to park the bike on wall and then stand next to one of those ordering walls, just as cattle does next to a feed trough - awkward. Just before pushing the little red button and placing my large order, a woman, Betty, in the car next to me asked "you traveling across America?"
"You better believe it" i replied. "Well, can I give you something?" she asked. She handed me a business card. In large, red, commercial style font it read 'Jesus Loves You.' "Awesome" I said to her. "Thanks." We than began talking about the ride and she dove right into the 'Do you believe in God lesson?' Naturally, I gave her a casual "Nah, I'm not really sure. But it's all good to me. Either way." She kept on with a long story of why she did, which by the way, was remarkable. Turns out her husband was fighting some horrible disease. Doctors determined he was done-for but through some miracle, he pulled through. Dude, was actually sitting right next to Betty in the drivers seat, though during this whole interaction he just ate a sandwich, never speaking a word. "Can I pray for you," Betty asked. "Sure, why not." Actually as casual as my response was, that kind of support is incredibly heart-warming. Betty grabbed my hand and went on for nearly 3 minutes and boy, was she into it. Eyes closed, head moving around, hands in full swing - wow - intense prayer. When our conversation was all said and done, she offered to pay for my breakfast - uh, sure. Thank you Betty.
I went back to my ordering trough and ordered a cheeseburger with onion rings and bacon on it, fries, sausage breakfast burrito, dr. pepper and a large ice cream dealio. Yup, it was bomb. 6000 calories later I was back on the open road, the traffic growing busier and busier. I mos def have a love hate relationship with those semis out there. If they pass me coming from the other direction they bring the mighty wind of a greek god down upon me, which hits me in the face like a brick wall, killing all momentum. But, they are far away from me, so I am safe. On the other hand there are the semis that pass me going the same direction. These truckers bring a mighty boost, sending me forward, actually allowing me to kick it up a notch. But damn they cause me to wobble to-&-fro as if I just consumed a bottle of whiskey. Guess it's all part of it.
I stopped into a small convenience store to fill up on water before beginning my trek south to my Aunt's place in Belle Plaine. The dude sporting a cowboy hat and running the store wanted to charge me 10 cents per cube of ice. I thought this a joke but that cowboy never cracked a smile and was colder than the ice i yearned for. Water from the bathroom sink it is. Thanks, chief.
I headed south into a 25mph headwind. 25 miles and 3.5 hrs later I found myself at another town watering hole. These small Kansas towns are incredibly run-down. There is nothing to them any more, nothing. I kept on truckin', the sun setting and with only a few miles to go, night sat in and I rode in darkness.
Suddenly a big Dodge diesel rolled up next to me, "need a lift?" a voice said from the inside. At a second glance I realized the woman to be my Aunt Diann, out to escort me in on the country road. "Nope, I gotta finish this out," I replied. She sat behind me for the last 3 miles and lit my way, protecting me from the speedy motorists.
We arrived at her place about 9:30, and caught-up on life over some spaghetti and home-made meat sauce. I love meat sauce. It was great to be with family again.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Day 23 - La Cygne, KS to Toronto, KS - 100+ miles
yo yo, my friends. So I'm sitting at my mom's place in Parker and can finally catch up and type on a real computer. The text is gonna come flying at ya, be prepared.
If you have been looking at the 'route' section of my blog and comparing my travels to the maps, you'll notice I have strayed and changed it up a bit. If I already said this in an earlier post, I apologize...but my aunt, my dad's sister, lives just south of Wichita, KS in the small town of Belle Plaine. I hadn't seen her in nearly 3 years, so I headed down to see her. This change definitely adds some mileage to the trip, but I couldn't be more excited about it.
So here we go - Day 23:
As I packed up this morning I spotted another cyclist, solo, leaving the campground. The first traveling cyclist I had seen since leaving nyc. Panniers stacked up on the back. Handlebar bag on the front. I could tell he was a bit older from his grey beard, hence why he was getting an earlier start than me. I find I struggle getting up in the morning even if I know I have a serious distance to tackle. I'd much rather ride in the dark than wake up to an alarm. The sun is all I need, nice and natural. I mean, I have used an alarm, I just snooze that sucker until I the sun burns through my tent and into my retnas and I find myself more tired than I would have without an alarm.
The older gent and I crossed paths as I hit the only nearby gas station for coffee and breakfast and gave a brief, "howdy" to one another. I sat and chowed and listened to some old men talk about lawn mowers for about 30 minutes. They discussed blades, brands, lawn sizes, grass length and even gossipped about other men's mowers. I wonder if I'll discuss that when I'm 80 yrs? I can see it now, 80 years old, wrinkly as a new-born, walking like a toddler, holding onto my sanity for dear life, protecting my lawn from youngsters and just overall being a crotchity old bastard just because I'm old and I can. why not? that's probably better than giving kids candy, right?
I headed west. After 6 or 7 miles I saw the old traveler's bicycle parked outside of a local restaurant and thought I'd catch him in there, sit down with him and chat about traveling via bicicleta. Welp, as I stepped in, he was paying but I was sure to start chatting him up immediately. Dude's name was Bob, 64 yrs of age, retired and had just grown tired of staring at the TV so he set out on his bike. He had left St. Louis a couple weeks before and was only headed to the western border of Kansas, but still, 2 states on a bike is still a long effin way. I suggest you all give it a shot. His bike was well equipped for long distance travel and was actually made for it as opposed to my rig. He gave me a heads up that the Trans America trail was nearby, which I would find myself traveling on in only a few days. I'll be sure to discuss the Trans America trail in a later post - don't fret if you're not familiar. Bob took off and I sat down to another breakfast.
Full of carbs and calories I sat out to the backcountry of Kansas. It was hot, humid and windy, everything I knew it would be. I traveled for hours down secondary roads made of old cracked asphalt which = slow moving. Nonetheless, after sucking down all my water I found myself at another town watering hole much like the one I found in Illinois. And by this, I mean, the town vending machine. i downed a couple sodas, as there was no water, and watched all varieties of people roll in. Big people, small people, kids, adults, teenagers, but all dudes interestingly enough. I could tell they were interested in my bike and me but not enough to ask, but just enough to stare a bit at the thin man loitering.
I cruised into Iola, Kansas in the late afternoon, the sun fairly high in the sky, the temperatures sweltering. I saw an A&W and went right in. The place was so cool due to air conditioning that I was actually cold while chowing. When was the last time you went into an A&W? Anyway, here in Iola I ran into my second negative nancy while riding through town. "Sidewalk!" some dude sitting in the passenger seat of a tan truck yelled at me. I glanced for a moment and noticed two younger guys with shaved heads and sunglasses crusing down the street. I kept my mouth shut. As they got about 50 feet in front of me, the passenger threw his middle finger out at me. But this time I didn't throw one up in return. These dudes just didn't seem the type for me to mess with or insult. Thanks for the lesson sir. You really told me. Here is a heads up: if you wanna flip me off and yell in my face just stop the car and get out and go for it. Don't be a sissy and yell from a moving vehicle as if you were a sleeze ball honking at a pretty lady on the street. Dick. So yes, this was a bit unsettling to me, obviously, though. shortly after I was smiling again. I was rolling into a gas station to fill up on water when a dude in a truck looked at me and smiled. I smiled back. "Hey, Forrest. It's Forrest Gump!!" the guy yelled out. I laughed out loud.
I stopped in another town about 30 miles later for a light snack. As I stood in front of the store (as I do nearly everyday) eating, a man of about 50+ came up to me and wished me safe travels. I asked if he 'rode' to which he replied, 'i don't. but i admire anyone who does.' We ended up talking for nearly 30 minutes and he told me all about his life (the abridged version). I told him all about the ride and he couldn't have thought it cooler. I tell ya, it really makes me happy to know that people are appreciating this ride and not viewing it as just some way to screw-off and avoid 'real' life. honestly, I don't think it gets any 'realer' than this. I mean, you're out there everyday, susceptible to the elements, to other people and to your own brain, basically thinking about food and shelter most of the time. Vulnerable, you are.
A couple hours later after traveling down a pretty busy highway 54, I found myself in the town of Toronto, KS where there was a state park. I figured, 'oh, i'll just find a small market and pick up some pasta for dinner.' Well, this town was run down as it could be. Obviously at one point commerce was alive in this small town, but these days there was nuthin'. Store fronts were filled with old cars and old junk. Needless to say, I went without food that night, which I'm pretty sure my body could afford due to all the bull-shit I downed a few hours before.
The sky was amazing that night in kansas. Storms were visible in the north, while the south was clear, bright and beautiful. Fortunately clear over me as well, though it did rain a bit during the night. The contrast in the sky is one found only in the mid-west (flats) in this country. You can just see the different weather activity spread out over the land. This is really one of the high points of travling through Kansas and much easier to notice while on a bicycle. I really don't know why more people don't travel this way. All it takes is a bit of 'crazy' and a lot of 'stubborn'. That's it.
If you have been looking at the 'route' section of my blog and comparing my travels to the maps, you'll notice I have strayed and changed it up a bit. If I already said this in an earlier post, I apologize...but my aunt, my dad's sister, lives just south of Wichita, KS in the small town of Belle Plaine. I hadn't seen her in nearly 3 years, so I headed down to see her. This change definitely adds some mileage to the trip, but I couldn't be more excited about it.
So here we go - Day 23:
As I packed up this morning I spotted another cyclist, solo, leaving the campground. The first traveling cyclist I had seen since leaving nyc. Panniers stacked up on the back. Handlebar bag on the front. I could tell he was a bit older from his grey beard, hence why he was getting an earlier start than me. I find I struggle getting up in the morning even if I know I have a serious distance to tackle. I'd much rather ride in the dark than wake up to an alarm. The sun is all I need, nice and natural. I mean, I have used an alarm, I just snooze that sucker until I the sun burns through my tent and into my retnas and I find myself more tired than I would have without an alarm.
The older gent and I crossed paths as I hit the only nearby gas station for coffee and breakfast and gave a brief, "howdy" to one another. I sat and chowed and listened to some old men talk about lawn mowers for about 30 minutes. They discussed blades, brands, lawn sizes, grass length and even gossipped about other men's mowers. I wonder if I'll discuss that when I'm 80 yrs? I can see it now, 80 years old, wrinkly as a new-born, walking like a toddler, holding onto my sanity for dear life, protecting my lawn from youngsters and just overall being a crotchity old bastard just because I'm old and I can. why not? that's probably better than giving kids candy, right?
I headed west. After 6 or 7 miles I saw the old traveler's bicycle parked outside of a local restaurant and thought I'd catch him in there, sit down with him and chat about traveling via bicicleta. Welp, as I stepped in, he was paying but I was sure to start chatting him up immediately. Dude's name was Bob, 64 yrs of age, retired and had just grown tired of staring at the TV so he set out on his bike. He had left St. Louis a couple weeks before and was only headed to the western border of Kansas, but still, 2 states on a bike is still a long effin way. I suggest you all give it a shot. His bike was well equipped for long distance travel and was actually made for it as opposed to my rig. He gave me a heads up that the Trans America trail was nearby, which I would find myself traveling on in only a few days. I'll be sure to discuss the Trans America trail in a later post - don't fret if you're not familiar. Bob took off and I sat down to another breakfast.
Full of carbs and calories I sat out to the backcountry of Kansas. It was hot, humid and windy, everything I knew it would be. I traveled for hours down secondary roads made of old cracked asphalt which = slow moving. Nonetheless, after sucking down all my water I found myself at another town watering hole much like the one I found in Illinois. And by this, I mean, the town vending machine. i downed a couple sodas, as there was no water, and watched all varieties of people roll in. Big people, small people, kids, adults, teenagers, but all dudes interestingly enough. I could tell they were interested in my bike and me but not enough to ask, but just enough to stare a bit at the thin man loitering.
I cruised into Iola, Kansas in the late afternoon, the sun fairly high in the sky, the temperatures sweltering. I saw an A&W and went right in. The place was so cool due to air conditioning that I was actually cold while chowing. When was the last time you went into an A&W? Anyway, here in Iola I ran into my second negative nancy while riding through town. "Sidewalk!" some dude sitting in the passenger seat of a tan truck yelled at me. I glanced for a moment and noticed two younger guys with shaved heads and sunglasses crusing down the street. I kept my mouth shut. As they got about 50 feet in front of me, the passenger threw his middle finger out at me. But this time I didn't throw one up in return. These dudes just didn't seem the type for me to mess with or insult. Thanks for the lesson sir. You really told me. Here is a heads up: if you wanna flip me off and yell in my face just stop the car and get out and go for it. Don't be a sissy and yell from a moving vehicle as if you were a sleeze ball honking at a pretty lady on the street. Dick. So yes, this was a bit unsettling to me, obviously, though. shortly after I was smiling again. I was rolling into a gas station to fill up on water when a dude in a truck looked at me and smiled. I smiled back. "Hey, Forrest. It's Forrest Gump!!" the guy yelled out. I laughed out loud.
I stopped in another town about 30 miles later for a light snack. As I stood in front of the store (as I do nearly everyday) eating, a man of about 50+ came up to me and wished me safe travels. I asked if he 'rode' to which he replied, 'i don't. but i admire anyone who does.' We ended up talking for nearly 30 minutes and he told me all about his life (the abridged version). I told him all about the ride and he couldn't have thought it cooler. I tell ya, it really makes me happy to know that people are appreciating this ride and not viewing it as just some way to screw-off and avoid 'real' life. honestly, I don't think it gets any 'realer' than this. I mean, you're out there everyday, susceptible to the elements, to other people and to your own brain, basically thinking about food and shelter most of the time. Vulnerable, you are.
A couple hours later after traveling down a pretty busy highway 54, I found myself in the town of Toronto, KS where there was a state park. I figured, 'oh, i'll just find a small market and pick up some pasta for dinner.' Well, this town was run down as it could be. Obviously at one point commerce was alive in this small town, but these days there was nuthin'. Store fronts were filled with old cars and old junk. Needless to say, I went without food that night, which I'm pretty sure my body could afford due to all the bull-shit I downed a few hours before.
The sky was amazing that night in kansas. Storms were visible in the north, while the south was clear, bright and beautiful. Fortunately clear over me as well, though it did rain a bit during the night. The contrast in the sky is one found only in the mid-west (flats) in this country. You can just see the different weather activity spread out over the land. This is really one of the high points of travling through Kansas and much easier to notice while on a bicycle. I really don't know why more people don't travel this way. All it takes is a bit of 'crazy' and a lot of 'stubborn'. That's it.
Monday, June 7, 2010
day 22 - sedalia, mo to la cygne, ks - 100+ miles
day 22 - sedalia, mo to la cygne, ks - 100+ miles
if you ever have the privelage of riding across this country, you will notice that the variety of insects and animals will vary from state to state. in PA there was a mass caterpillar exodus as hundreds tried to cross the roads. in indiana it was worms. i didnt see much illinois due to extreme heat. but in MO i saw lots and lots of turtles. of course there were the small box turtles like you used to have in mrs. johnston's 4th grade class. and remember there was the dirty kid who wiped boogers on the aquarium? well, anyway, there were also some big turtles out there. i'm talking shells over 1ft in diameter. sadly, i didnt see any of giants alive but all smooshed by cars. i even watched truck roll over one. come on guy. how hard is it to avoid the slowest animal on the planet?
my bro and rich traveled with me for half the day. they had one bike with them so they would take turns driving and riding along with snapping photos. after 50 miles we sat down to lunch at a restaurant that boasted mexican food (at least the mo version). im pretty sure the hot sauce was just ketchup with cayenne pepper mixed in.
the dudes split after lunch, headed back to denver, and i was solo again headed for the ks border.
it was hot as could be and a bit hilly but nonetheless i reached the border close to nightfall. one thing i wish my google maps would tell me is if roads are paved or dirt. google please take note. i came over a hill and reached a dirt road and cattle. i remembered my mistake in hannibal but went against my instincts and started on the dirt. there were herds of cattle on both sides of the road as i rode. as i rode past them they turned and ran as if i were parting the soon-to-be-hamburger sea. after realizing how foolish i was for daring the dirt, i stoopped and all the cattle that had fled came over to stare at me. as i headed back in the other direction, tjey ran again and followed me to the edge of their fence.
there was lightning in the distance so i hauled ass south to a paved road that would take me to la cygne lake. night fell upon me and i was still riding. bugs created the illusion of flying through space, smashing into my face. finally i stumbled upon a campground where plenty of memorial holday-ers were partying and boozing it up. i found an empty site, posted up and went down.
if you ever have the privelage of riding across this country, you will notice that the variety of insects and animals will vary from state to state. in PA there was a mass caterpillar exodus as hundreds tried to cross the roads. in indiana it was worms. i didnt see much illinois due to extreme heat. but in MO i saw lots and lots of turtles. of course there were the small box turtles like you used to have in mrs. johnston's 4th grade class. and remember there was the dirty kid who wiped boogers on the aquarium? well, anyway, there were also some big turtles out there. i'm talking shells over 1ft in diameter. sadly, i didnt see any of giants alive but all smooshed by cars. i even watched truck roll over one. come on guy. how hard is it to avoid the slowest animal on the planet?
my bro and rich traveled with me for half the day. they had one bike with them so they would take turns driving and riding along with snapping photos. after 50 miles we sat down to lunch at a restaurant that boasted mexican food (at least the mo version). im pretty sure the hot sauce was just ketchup with cayenne pepper mixed in.
the dudes split after lunch, headed back to denver, and i was solo again headed for the ks border.
it was hot as could be and a bit hilly but nonetheless i reached the border close to nightfall. one thing i wish my google maps would tell me is if roads are paved or dirt. google please take note. i came over a hill and reached a dirt road and cattle. i remembered my mistake in hannibal but went against my instincts and started on the dirt. there were herds of cattle on both sides of the road as i rode. as i rode past them they turned and ran as if i were parting the soon-to-be-hamburger sea. after realizing how foolish i was for daring the dirt, i stoopped and all the cattle that had fled came over to stare at me. as i headed back in the other direction, tjey ran again and followed me to the edge of their fence.
there was lightning in the distance so i hauled ass south to a paved road that would take me to la cygne lake. night fell upon me and i was still riding. bugs created the illusion of flying through space, smashing into my face. finally i stumbled upon a campground where plenty of memorial holday-ers were partying and boozing it up. i found an empty site, posted up and went down.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Day 21 - Moberly, MO to Sedalia, MO - 90ish miles
I woke up early and was welcomed with hot coffee from Emily's parents. Her parents own the apt, which Logan rents, and where i slept. They had me in for some french toast, hooked up some snacks for the day's ride and wished me well. They were great people to just have a stranger roll in for breakfast. Soak that in.
I was off and headed to Columbia, MO to stock up on bike parts. Tubes, CO2 and a patch kit were a necessity to have as I planned on entering no-man's land for the next few days. I could get stranded only 20 miles from a town but on a bike that doesn't run, that a long effin way. As I was cruising down, my brother, his pal Rich and their dogs rolled up in the opposite direction. It was great to see some people I knew and also to have an unofficial support vehicle with me for a short time.
My brother is a blossoming hot-shot photographer in the snowboarding industry right now, so when he told me he wanted to come and shoot some of this ride, I couldn't have been more excited. We're gonna get some bomb-ass photos out of this for sure. Much better than anything I'm producing with my little camera phone. We also took some video too. Be sure to check out his website www.terryratzlaff.com. Yes, check it.
We rolled around all day getting some real interesting shots. The camera ended up mounted to my bike in a couple different ways. The dudes would drive next to me while the camera extended on a tri-pod and pointed who knows where. I will say that it was one seriously creative day with some serious distance to cover and I didn't realize how much.
The temp was in the 90s most of the day but when 4pm rolled in, the heat increased to that of the sun. Sweat poured from my brow and even an air conditioned car wasn't that cool. The dudes even had to separate from me for a bit to grab water for the dogs so that they would stay cool. And the hills of SW MO challenged those in PA. I'm proud to say I haven't walked my bike up a hill yet but some of these guys really made me want to. I think i'm just too stubborn.
Welp, this lab i'm sitting in in Hutchinson, KS is about to close so I'll wrap it up. We rolled into the Sedalia, MO state fairgrounds where they had a small campground. Surprisingly it was wide open for being memorial day weekend, but who wants to camp within city limits when you can drive out to the woods? About 5 people, that's how many. Twas convenient though.
Be on the look-out for awesome photos.
Words.
I was off and headed to Columbia, MO to stock up on bike parts. Tubes, CO2 and a patch kit were a necessity to have as I planned on entering no-man's land for the next few days. I could get stranded only 20 miles from a town but on a bike that doesn't run, that a long effin way. As I was cruising down, my brother, his pal Rich and their dogs rolled up in the opposite direction. It was great to see some people I knew and also to have an unofficial support vehicle with me for a short time.
My brother is a blossoming hot-shot photographer in the snowboarding industry right now, so when he told me he wanted to come and shoot some of this ride, I couldn't have been more excited. We're gonna get some bomb-ass photos out of this for sure. Much better than anything I'm producing with my little camera phone. We also took some video too. Be sure to check out his website www.terryratzlaff.com. Yes, check it.
We rolled around all day getting some real interesting shots. The camera ended up mounted to my bike in a couple different ways. The dudes would drive next to me while the camera extended on a tri-pod and pointed who knows where. I will say that it was one seriously creative day with some serious distance to cover and I didn't realize how much.
The temp was in the 90s most of the day but when 4pm rolled in, the heat increased to that of the sun. Sweat poured from my brow and even an air conditioned car wasn't that cool. The dudes even had to separate from me for a bit to grab water for the dogs so that they would stay cool. And the hills of SW MO challenged those in PA. I'm proud to say I haven't walked my bike up a hill yet but some of these guys really made me want to. I think i'm just too stubborn.
Welp, this lab i'm sitting in in Hutchinson, KS is about to close so I'll wrap it up. We rolled into the Sedalia, MO state fairgrounds where they had a small campground. Surprisingly it was wide open for being memorial day weekend, but who wants to camp within city limits when you can drive out to the woods? About 5 people, that's how many. Twas convenient though.
Be on the look-out for awesome photos.
Words.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
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