First ride after the big trip

It's been a while. I got home on August 9 but my bike was delayed. I got a phone call from FedEx while on the train between Boston and Chicago because the shipping label had been damaged beyond recognition. So FedEx didn't know where and to whom it was supposed to go. Maybe they didn't know it was heavily insured, either.

On August 9, before FedEx finally delivered my bike, I had a road bike appreciation day.  I set out on the same route with my mountain bike and had a little crash.  I got a few scrapes and a bruised leg which became a large hematoma.  Walking was painful, to say the least, but now it's mostly healed.

A few days later and a few days late, my road bike arrived.  I took it to my bike shop to be checked and tuned.  After I got it back, I was putting new rubber on the rear wheel when the rear brake brake became loose although the bolt was tight. The fitting that allows a brake bolt to work with a carbon frame, the bits that must be glued onto the frame to make this work, finally let go.  If this had happened during my summer ride, the bike would have been unridable and probably unrepairable, too.  I took it to the bike shop and advice was sought from Colnago.  That took weeks because Colnago has been having personnel changes.  The advice was delivered and acted upon.  Now I have my bike to ride as described below.

I started out in bright sunshine but the rain that has been flooding a large part of Colorado is not done yet.  With threatening clouds looming in the southern sky, I hurried home toward the south and into the rain.  I started getting wet with about 5 miles to go and rode the last half-mile in a deluge of drops that felt like hail but weren't.

The bike path has quite a few rough spots where it was flooded.  Where the path is bordered by gravel and sand, there are much gravel and sand on the path.  Where it's bordered by earth, there is mud on the path.  One section was closed with no clue about a detour.  The Garmin is not very useful when lost and I saw exactly where to go when I got home and looked at a map.  The road is a better bet for a while.

I wondered why my heart rate was suddenly much lower on the summer trip.  It was seldom above 110 for the whole trip and the daily average was frequently about 100.  Now it's back up to normal with an average rate today of 117 with the last 20 minutes over 137.   I still guess that altitude is the cause.

There has been some e-mail traffic among the America by Bicycle group.  I wonder why they don't use ABB's Facebook page.

AAN day 50 - Manchester, NH --> Portsmouth, NH

Across America North - day 50 - Manchester, NH --> Portsmouth, NH

Today was the last day of the trip. I'm too tired to type any more.

Anticipation ran high at departure as we started out for the high school in Rye about 7 miles from Portsmouth. Fifty miles and a few rolling hills later, we were there and the police car showed up on time a half hour later. Then we headed for the beach several miles away at a stately, processional pace.

A crowd was at the beach that day. The wind was strong enough to blow some beach chairs over and the air was cool. It's been unusually cool here. A few of the riders jumped in the ocean for a good soaking while others got wet up to their ankles. The ones who were met by friends and family stayed a while and the others headed for the hotel 7 miles away in Portsmouth. The road to Portsmouth was along the beach and I could only imagine how much the price of a house there was increased by the location.

We finally made it to the hotel and the ride was over. Showers and a change of clothes were next followed immediately by bicycle packing and shipping. FedEx will be here tomorrow morning to pick up my bike along with several others.

A group of people had reservations at Old Ferry Landing, a seafood restaurant on the water in downtown Portsmouth. Luckily, I had a ride there in a car. On the way, I couldn't stop thinking about how easy it was to go up the hill and how soft the seat was. For dinner, I had baked, stuffed haddock followed by a trip around the corner to an ice cream parlor. They were both very good.

The America by Bicycle shuttle left this morning at 8:00 for Logan Airport and the people bound for Logan this morning met for one last hotel breakfast and loading of luggage. Good byes were said all around with many good wishes and a few tears.

My train leaves from Boston for Denver tomorrow at 11:55 am. That means going to the C&J bus stop about 3 miles from the hotel tomorrow at 7:30. So continues another cross-country trip. My epic journey is over now. It's more conventional from here on.

AAN day 50 - Manchester, NH --> Wallis Beach, NH

AAN day 50 - Wallis Beach, NH --> Portsmouth, NH

AAN day 49 - Brattleboro, VT --> Manchester, NH

Across America North - day 49 - Brattleboro, VT --> Manchester, NH

Today was a moderately easy 80-mile day of New Hampshire hills. The first half of the day was some serious climbing but the second half was easy rolling hills. We're in Manchester now and will see the Atlantic tomorrow morning. First we meet at a high school where we'll get a police escort to the beach. After the good-byes are said, some of us will go on another 8 miles to a hotel in Portsmouth where we'll pack our bikes for shipment, spend the night, and go home on Tuesday. Once again I must commit my bike to the tender mercies of FedEx.

At least one of us will spend a second night in Portsmouth and leave on Wednesday. I'll take a C&J bus to Boston south station at about 7:00 Wednesday morning and take a train back to Denver.

I can't imagine how my trip across the country could have been made easier. I sat very comfortably in the lap of luxury on this trip and that's because the business of cycle touring was handled so expertly America by Bicycle. Highly recommended.

I wanted to have a bookend tour of my trip a half lifetime ago. This one was different in every way from that one. I was lucky to have chosen this year and to have done it with this group.

AAN day 48 - Albany, NY --> Brattleboro, VT

Across America North - day 48 - Albany, NY --> Brattleboro, VT

We crossed into Vermont today. New York was a nice place to ride.

We haven't had this much climbing since we were out west. Vermont ain't flat, as the t- shirt says. The uphills were frequently steeper than 8% and there were extended sections of 10% and more. Climbing today was 5810 feet by my computer's reckoning. In local terms, today's climbing was four times up Lookout Mountain.

The descent into Brattleboro was about 13 miles long and I hit 48 mph a few times but slowed down in the crosswind. I'm sure that my tolerance of highs speed is declining with age but it was a geat bombing run even with the crosswind and winding road.

AAN day 47 - Little Falls, NY --> Albany, NY

Across America North - day 47 - Little Falls, NY --> Albany, NY

What a nice day this was. Gentle hills, cool temperature, lovely bike paths along the Erie Canal that would become my usual route if I lived here all contributed to a day acclaimed by most as the best day of the tour.

My derailleurs needed a little adjusting today to have the use of my low gear. I'll definitely need my lowest gear tomorrow. More specifically, my chainrings are 53 and 39 and my cogs go from 11 to 29. So my lowest gear is 39x29, which ought to be enough for most but are an extra effort for heavyweights like me. The steepest hills tomorrow go up to 20% with quite a few stretches of 8%-14%.

We'll be in Vermont tomorrow on a day with a lot of climbing. We'll be in New Hampshire the day after tomorrow on a day with a lot of climbing. That means about 6300 feet tomorrow and 5000 feet the day after. The end is nigh. I can do this.

AAN day 46 - Rochester, NY --> Little Falls, NY

Across America North - day 46 - Rochester, NY --> Little Falls, NY

No post yesterday because the network was impossible.  The designers of the hotel network apparently had no idea that more than one person at a time would want to use it.  Some people went a few blocks to the McDonald's and used its network but I went to bed early.

The day started with warnings of rain and it came as promised. A few drops through the morning became a steady rain starting at about 10:30. By the time I arrived at the hotel at 2:00, I was very wet and gritty. A clean bike is a happy bike and mine was unhappy.

There were so many days when we could have spent the day in the rain but we've been dry since Oregon. Other trips in other years have had temperatures over 100 but we haven't. We've been very lucky with the weather.

I brought a scale on this trip. When that became known early on, the others expressed quite a bit of interest but hardly anyone acted on it. Now that the trip is winding down, there is more interest and there is more caution about eating habits when suddenly not riding 80 miles/day.

AAN day 45 - Rochester, NY --> Syracuse, NY

Across America North - day 45 - Rochester, NY --> Syracuse, NY

A gentler tailwind made today a little easier. The weather seems to be encouraging an end of this trip.  However, about 23 miles was on the Erie Canal bike path, a gravel and dirt path that slowed the pace quite a bit.  Still, the Erie Canal was a nice change of pace and seeing a lock in action was interesting.

Only about 400 miles left to go now.  I'm already winding down mentally and ready to roll onto the beach.

AAN day 44 - Niagara Falls, NY --> Rochester, NY

Across America North - day 44 - Niagara Falls, NY --> Rochester, NY

This was a second easy day in a row.  The wind was with us and the miles went by.  The terrain was easy with rolling hills that were small enough in most cases to stand up and roll over the top.

I didn't make this post last night because the network was useless.  If it ever works, I can say only that one person at a time can make any use of it.  Some people left to go elsewhere to find another public network.

Countdown: only 400 miles to go.  

AAN day 43 rest day

Across America North - day 43 rest day - Niagara Falls, NY

 After two easy days, this rest day wasn't needed as much as the previous rest days were.  Still, it was good to get off the saddle for a day.  The big event, after sleeping past 5, was taking the Maid of the Mist ride right up to the falls.  I thought of Odysseus and the sea monsters (Scylla and Charybdis, I think) as I tried to use my phone camera.  LED viewfinders are really useless sometimes such as this.  I just aimed it in the general direction and could have closed my eyes with no effect on the pictures.

Then I tended to an errand at a medical lab a mile or two from the hotel.  It was a nice walk around Niagara Falls and the mission was accomplished. 

Tomorrow begins with breakfast at 6:00 am and luggage loading at 7:00.  As soon after that as I can manage, I'll be on my way to Rochester and a planned meeting of my sister-in-law who lives in Ithaca.  She was in Denver visiting her sister a very short time ago and I just missed her.

After some fiddling, my Garmin bike computer seems to be working again.  That's a relief.  Now I can navigate with the peace of mind found in modern GPS wizardry.  The Atlantic is becoming a more attainable goal now with only 700 miles to go.  About 90 miles tomorrow to Rochester and another 90 to Syracuse and so on and I'll be there.

AAN day 42 - Brantford, Ontario --> Niagara Falls, NY

Across America North - day 42 - Brantford, Ontario --> Niagara Falls, NY

The day started with a fine breakfast at the hotel in Brantford.  After some uncertainty about the possibility of rain, I decided to leave my raincoat in my bag and set out for Niagara Falls, 74 miles away.  The wind was with us making today the second easy day in a row.  I looked down at my computer to see speeds in the 20-22 mph range.  Sometimes I turned on the afterburners to reach 24-27 mph for a minute or two thinking, "so this is the speed of a pro training run".  It takes a 3% downhill or a howling tailwind for that experience.

Eventually we reached Niagara Falls and the Peace Bridge where we waited in line with all the cars and RVs.  Immigration took about 20 seconds once I got to the immigration officer and I was off to the Welcome to New York sign about 50 yards away.

While on the bridge, my Garmin computer quit and would not restart.  I lost all the data of my speedy ride and now the world will never know.  About 20 tries later, the Garmin still would not start so I reset it, which erased the data.  Now it seems ok and I'm relieved.  My anxiety on this trip would have been a lot higher and so would the number of my wrong and missed turns without it.  The Garmin computer is a great gadget.

On the way through Ontario, I saw quite a few signs opposing the installation of wind turbines.  After checking a little, I see that one main objection is that they lower property values.  Some signs assert the necessity of health studies before installation.  I wonder what harm to health they are thinking of.  There are complaints about the noise they make.  Other signs simply say NO.  Ontario produces about 2 GW of power from wind turbines now so their presence seems permanent.

Only 7 days more until the beach in New Hampshire. 

AAN day 41 - London, Ontario --> Brantford, Ontario

Across America North - day 41 - London, Ontario --> Brantford, Ontario

I hoped for an easy day and today was it.  I missed a couple of turns and got a few bonus miles but the day was still easy.  It rained on and off a little but it was still easy.

Tomorrow we'll be in Niagara Falls, New York and will get a rest day on Monday.  On Tuesday we'll start across New York on our way to Henrietta (apparently indistinguishable from Rochester) and beyond.

Upon entering Canada, Verizon was promptly sent me the schedule of roaming charges. 

calls - $0.89/min
data - $2.05/MB

When leaving Canada tomorrow, I expect another notice announcing my return to domestic charges.  At that point, I'll turn on the parts that I've disabled.

The poor guy who was denied a visa is still on his way around Lake Erie.  He rode about 156 miles the first day and 140 miles the second.  The last I heard, he was in northeastern Ohio and still heading for Niagara Falls.  He might even get a rest day.

<iframe width='465' height='548' frameborder='0' src='http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/349170659'></iframe>

No pictures today.  Rain isn't good for the camera.

AAN day 40 - Port Huron, MI --> London, Ontario

Across America North - day 40 - Port Huron, MI --> London, Ontario

The network is unreliable and I'm getting "connection reset" errors every time I blink.  I'll try again tomorrow.

We woke at 4:45 today to get ready for a 6:45 departure for the Canada border. Immigration already had our names and passport information so getting through customs was a breeze. Immigration closed the big bridge to traffic and we crossed together and lined up for a passport check on the Canada side.

We spent the day on pretty good roads in farmland as we did in Michigan. The only obvious difference was that the street signs were in metric units as they should be in the US.

I'm getting worn down. The next rest day will probably do wonders as did all the others so far. Talk turns more and more to the end of the trip and I'm more and more ready for it.

AAN day 39 - Birch Run, MI --> Port Huron, MI

Across America North - day 39 - Birch Run, MI --> Port Huron, MI

Today was a nice day --- very little wind, sunny skies, little traffic on most of the trip. I rode a middle section of about 50 miles hanging on to the back of a faster group so I went faster, too. They were kind enough to let me do that.

I've heard that it's not wise to get to the hotel too early because that means being there in time to unload the luggage. I view unloading luggage as an accomplishment. That means that I was fast enough to get there in time to do it.

Tomorrow, we cross into Canada for 3 days. Canada denied a visa to one person who is now riding his bike on the ultimate detour to Niagara Falls, NY. He's going alone around the US side of Lake Erie by way of Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, and Buffalo to Niagara Falls in 5 days.  Another person had an expired passport and managed to renew it in one day.  

I'm looking forward to going home.  It's still a good trip but it's gone on long enough now.  Breakfast is at 5:30 tomorrow and we'll be on the road at 6:30 to Canadian customs and an 82-mile day.  I could use some sleep.

AAN day 38 - Mount Pleasant, MI --> Birch Run, MI

Across America North - day 38 - Mount Pleasant, MI --> Birch Run, MI

The word of the day is wind - steady, relentless headwind. The wind made the distance seem much longer than 80 miles. (There was a construction detour that added 5 miles.)

I'm writing this a day late because I couldn't get a network connection. Some hotels just don't have a network that can handle the traffic of our traveling wifi torture test.

AAN day 37 - Ludington, MI --> Mt. Pleasant, MI

Across America North - day 37 - Ludington, MI --> Mt. Pleasant, MI

We're in Michigan now. The terrain is a bit hilly but very forgiving because the hills are shorter and less steep than those in Wisconsin. Tomorrow's ride to Birch Run will be the flattest day of the trip with only about 600 feet of climbing over 74 miles. Today's ride of 113 miles was fairly easy because of a nice tailwind all day and tomorrow's of only 74 miles will be easier still.

The scenery was beautiful as we went through game preserves for much of the day. The roads were usually good, too, and the traffic was light to none. I've heard it said that Michigan is boring but Michigan is generally regarded by the group as a good place to ride a bike.

We'll be in Canada on Friday and conversations turn increasingly toward the end of the trip. Adjusting to normal life is discussed and speculated about but for me it boils down to the difference between continuous novelty and a return to familiar surroundings and routine. With two weeks to go, I'm beginning to look forward to the familiar.

AAN day 36 - Manitowoc, MI --> ferry

Across North - day 36 - Manitowoc, MI --> ferry

Today we crossed Lake Michigan by ferry. The day began with a 3.5-mile ride to the ferry, also called a carferry. This boat is big enough to carry fleets of cars, including tractor trailers, across about 60 miles of Lake Michigan. Leaving the dock looked like heading out to sea because there was no hint of land for hours. Two of the loads that went through the yawning maw of the loading platform were enormous loads of coal delivered by tractor trailers that had no trouble backing onto the boat.

The lake was 60 degrees and the high in Manitowoc was only 71. I was glad that I'd packed jeans and a coat for being on the deck. Inside, there were a movie room, a main lounge, a children's play area with structured games for groups of them, and more that I didn't see.



We loaded our bikes into an area of the boat's storage area and parked them in a compact way. That is where we had to leave them for the duration. When the boat docked, we went to unpack them as a stack operation (last-on, first-off). Then we rode to the hotel about 3 miles away. With the crossing of the eastern time zone, we lost an hour and arrived at the hotel at about 7:40. Not much time was left for dinner or anything else. Tomorrow's wake-up call is at 4:45.

AAN day 35 - Fond du Lac, WI --> Manitowoc, WI

Across America North - day 35 - Fond du Lac, WI --> Manitowoc, WI

Today was easier than any riding day of last month but not as easy as expected. There was a headwind of 6-8 mph gusting to 16 mph but that was manageable in a group.

The riders fall into well defined groups. First, there is the A-team of about 5 fast riders. They've been together since the beginning although the discipline of the paceline was getting old after a couple thousand miles. One of that group decided to relax and do a little sightseeing, which was impossible in a paceline. I started seeing him on the road instead of only before the day's ride and after. Another one decided to go off on his own, which in his case meant faster than the fast group.

The largest group is the middle group. There are subgroups but I usually don't ride with them and infer their existence from conversations at dinner.

There is also a group on the trailing edge of the support window with a big gap between them and the middle group. Their nickname, assigned by one of the ABB staff, is the backpack. ABB keeps three of its staff on bicycles one of whom is "the sweep". That person's job is the bring up the rear so that the support window has a clear boundary. My nickname for the sweep is the grim sweeper.

In the large gap between the middle group and the backpack is where I find myself for almost all of my time on the road. I've ridden at least a thousand miles with no one in sight either in front or behind. It's just me and the wind and the hills. There have been times when I've been in a group or somewhat in contact with one. At the first hill, however, I get dropped with numbing regularity and reliability. Successive hills magnify the distance and soon they're out of sight. My most fervent desire is to lose the luggage that causes this problem. Once in a while, through some accident of timing, I get ahead of one of these subgroups. When I'm passed, always going uphill, I try to join it if I can maintain contact at the top of the hill but am reminded that the groups formed a long time ago and that new members need not apply. Rather than intrude, the thing to do is to retire to the rear. I was invited to join one of these subgroups, one at the front of the middle group, but I'm simply too slow and can't keep up.

I've been puzzled by some of the data that I collect.  I look down at my nifty Garmin computer and note that my heart rate is remarkably low.  My legs may ache and say ouch but my heart is in easy cruising mode.  Even on hills when I'm going pretty hard, it's below 100/min.  My daily average heart rate is in the 90s on most days and occasionally in the 80s.  Even when I'm knocking myself out, it stays below 115.   Hey, did someone slip some beta-blockers into my food?  When I rode in Denver, my average heart rate on an average training ride was about 120.  A drop of 20-30/min must be significant, eh?  What could that significance be?

Tomorrow is the day that we cross Lake Michigan on a 4-hour ferry ride. The song that comes to mind on the road is this one. For those of a certain age, just reading the lyrics ought to conjure the music.

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship.

The mate was a mighty sailing man,
The skipper brave and sure.
Five passengers set sail that day
For a three hour tour. A three hour tour...

The weather started getting rough.
The tiny ship was tossed.
If not for the courage of the fearless crew,
The minnow would be lost. The minnow would be lost.

The ship's aground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle
With Gilligan,
The Skipper, too,
The millionaire and his wife,
The movie star,
The professor and Mary Ann,
Here on Gilligan's Isle.
[...]

I look at the map that's set up in the lobby of each hotel with a line across the country tracing our route. It's becoming a significant line, a large fraction of the country is covered.

AAN day 34 - Wisconsin Dells, WI --> Fond du Lac, WI

Across America North - day 34 - Wisconsin Dells, WI --> Fond du Lac, WI

The logistics of breakfast and luggage loading were made more complicated by yesterday's events but went smoothly anyway. One of the highlights of the ride today was a lunch stop at Princeton for bratwurst. I skipped lunch but reports from all others who stopped were of a superb lunch that couldn't be missed. I don't even think about eating on the road except for ice cream.

It was an easy 84 miles with a few easy hills. Tomorrow will be only 57 miles and the next day is our ferry ride across Lake Michigan. The last 5 days have been long ones --- almost 500 miles in all. I'm looking forward to some slack in the schedule.

AAN day 33 - La Crosse, WI --> Wisconsin Dells, WI

Across America North - day 33 - La Crosse, WI --> Wisconsin Dells, WI

I'm posting this a day late because the wireless network's connection to the Internet was broken. It was a day that started with an hour delay waiting for a rainstorm to pass followed by detours. After having the hotel rug pulled out from under us, the network was broken. But all's well now so here is yesterday's post today.

We went through some tunnels today. We couldn't ride our bikes through them so we had to walk. They utterly dark, too. If we hadn't been required to bring lights, we couldn't have seen our hands in front out faces. The first one was clearly unridable because the narrow path had been eroded by the constantly dripping condensation. The tunnels were much like caves. Water had filled the ditches on both sides of the path. As we approached the first tunnel, it was as if someone had left the freezer door open. Or imagine opening the door to go into a Dairy Queen on a hot day.

About 50 miles of the day was on dirt bike path that ranged from hard-packed dirt to slushy gravel. The green canopy was so thick in many places that the path was often in deep shade on a bright, sunny day.

Once off the bike path, the day returned to normal. It was normal until a construction detour that added 8 miles to the day's total. Even the detour had a detour. One stretch was lined up perfectly with a howling tailwind that blew us along very well. I averaged 28-31 for several miles and was sorry to see it end. It ended when I came to a giant detour sign pointing left. I didn't write down the directions well enough and went left. That was wrong so I got a few bonus miles of headwind coming back.

All this made for a long day so I was very glad to get to the hotel. But the hotel had been sold and the new owner was having none of the previous owner's contractual obligations. In other words, we didn't have hotel reservations and we had nowhere to stay that night. The staff of America by Bicycle showed much patience and grace under pressure in getting us to new hotels for the night. The original hotel was a dump so, as far as that night's hotel was concerned, we were better off although at great expense to America by Bicycle.

AAN day 32 - Rochester, MN --> La Crosse, WI

Across America North - day 32 - Rochester, MN --> La Crosse, WI

We've certainly been racking up a lot of miles lately. The schedule says about 480 miles in 5 days and we're on day 4. A 13-mile section of today was on a bike path through the woods. I rode it alone with no one behind or ahead. After a few more miles on the road, I approached the big hill at mile 71 still alone. The big hill has a name, Happel Hill, as a sign at the bottom told me. It was about 2 miles long and averaged 10% steep. At about mile 80, the Welcome to Wisconsin sign appeared followed soon by the Mississippi River. After the river, the trip through La Crosse was a few miles on 4th St., a very busy street crowded with some very busy drivers. I was glad to see the hotel where I would get off that street.

Tomorrow is another 90-mile day. Today is Thursday. We'll cross Wisconsin and be in Michigan by Monday.

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AAN day 31 - Mankato, MN --> Rochester, MN

Across America North - day 31 - Mankato, MN --> Rochester, MN

The ride started out with a hill within 2 blocks of the hotel. It was a half mile long and was a 10-15% grade. Stunningly steep. To make matters worse, I couldn't coax my detailleur into shifting into my first gear. I was going up the hill with brute force, though, but having trouble keeping my balance. The eroded part of the road at the edge next to the gutter was too close but I couldn't lean away from it. Uh, oh. My front wheel went in the channel and I fell off in slow motion going about 3 mph. No damage. While I was off the bike, I found some consolation in shifting the chain to the largest cog and carrying on. 39x29 is much easier than 39x26.

The ride through Minnesota farms is being lost in a sea of green. It's hard to convey the depth and extent of oceans of green followed by more oceans of green.

I had a routine test to get done today and thought that the famous Mayo Clinic would be the place. Alas, no, this was too much. So many people come to the Mayo Clinic that the hotels accommodate them with on-call and free taxi service to the various buildings of the Mayo Clinic. I took advantage of this to go to the central building. Well, the walk-in clinic closed at 3:30, an hour before I got there. Someone suggested St. Mary's Hospital, a part of the Mayo Clinic a mile or two away. Another shuttle goes there and I was on it. The lab at the hospital also closed at 3:30 and there was no other way. I called the hotel shuttle and eventually made my way back to dinner, already in progress.

Still, it was interesting to see the place that I knew only was famous and to see that it is a vast enterprise, a big business. I thought while I was at the central building, watching people arrive by the busload and leaving likewise, that it was like Lourdes. At Lourdes also, people arrive in sad condition and hoping for a miracle but I suppose that the Mayo Clinic's success rate exceeds that of Lourdes. As I was on the shuttle on my way to St. Mary's Hospital and still on the border of the Mayo complex, I struck by the supreme irony of the high school facing the Mayo property. It was Lourdes High School. The humor can't be lost on anyone, can it?

Chains are starting to show wear. Everyone will have to replace a chain sometime soon. Tires are in varying states of wear because some have already been replaced. In any case, 2000 miles of chip-seal were hard on them. We clean and lubricate our chains every day. We inspect our tires to pick out the bits of glass and wires before they work their way through the casing. Still, this trip is hard on a bike.

Tomorrow is only 91 miles so we get to sleep in until 5:45. Tomorrow is also when we cross the state line into Wisconsin. We also cross the mighty Mississippi River at La Crosse, WI. All this happens at about mile 83 and just before another one of those 10% hills.

AAN day 30 - Worthington, MN --> Mankato, MN

Across America North - day 30 - Worthington, MN --> Mankato, MN

Breakfast was arranged to be at 5:30 this morning but the morning manager declined to cooperate. The usual time is 6:30 and that's all he would consent to. He even changed the America by Bicycle whiteboard in the lobby accordingly. It was only an hour but the disruption of our regimented schedule was not taken lightly by some.

My complaint about the hotel was the plasic sheet on my bed. There was also a dehumidifier next to the bed that turned the room air conditioner into a stereo. The hotel management is too cheap to replace a mattress and still tries to use it while it's drying out. Not up to any hotel standards that I know about.

We had a nice tailwind for much of the 112-mile trip today. The last few miles included a downhill bikepath through a mountain forest and across a former train trestle that was coverd with wood and traversed an immense gorge. I was a surprise to come out of the woods and find myself on long, wooden bridge looking at a river about 500 feet below. Then the bike path continued back in the woods for a few more woods. I wonder who had the vision, the will, and the money to build such a path.

Tomorrow is another 100 miles to Rochester, Minnesota, home of the Mayo Clinic where I will stop for a routine test. The test in Casper was an indirect measure of my basal metabolic rate, which I think has increased by 10% starting this trip. Tomorrow will confirm that change or lead to a new guess.

A map of the US is posted under the AbB whiteboard in the lobby. It shows our trip in yellow with the part behind us colored in black. It's becoming significantly black. After we cross Lake Michigan, the rest will seem like the home stretch.

AAN day 29 - Sioux Falls, SD --> Worthington, MN

Across America North - day 29 - Sioux Falls, SD --> Worthington, MN

I know it's a good day when I roll up to the hotel door in my big ring. Today was the easiest 70 miles that I've ridden in a long time. The land is greener so it's easier on the eyes. The hills are not as steep so they're easier on the legs. The wind is still out of the south but more moderate, more gentle than the wind west of Sioux Falls.

Sioux Falls has a very nice bike path through the city. We stayed on it for about 8 miles and turned on to pretty good roads (not chip-seal) for the trip to the Minnesota state line at about mile 26. Our introduction to Minnesota was a construction detour because they were repaving the whole road. The picture of the state line marker required a hundred yard trip over the stripped side of an asphalt road. Several miles of sandy gravel later, we were back on the interrupted route and back on a pretty good road. The construction crew routed us onto a closed road for part of the detour. For a bit, we had our own private road with no chance of cars either direction.

The hills were very manageable for us climbing-impaired riders --- not too long, not too steep. I suspect that, while there may be quite a few hills left, the hardest climbing is behind us.

I brought a small scale and seem to have the only one on the trip. At this point in the trip, people are wondering about their weight and inquiring about borrowing the scale. One person did this today and brought it back beaming with happiness. He lost the 8.5 pounds that had resisted all previous attempts. Another guy also came by to weigh himself. He was already lean and was still slightly dismayed to find that he'd lost only one pound. Other people have inquired about coming by to use the scale and that was the last I heard.

Tomorrow's route is 110 miles. The next day's is 100 miles. After that are several days of about 90 miles. We'll spend 3 nights in Minnesota and be in Wisconsin next.

AAN day 28 rest day - Sioux Falls, SD

Across America North day 28 rest day - Sioux Falls, SD

Today was a nice, peaceful day. Doing nothing is a highly underrated activity.

The hinge on my very important sunglasses broke a few days ago.  I had the previous pair as a backup until I could take them to Lenscrafters.  I was informed there that they were still covered by the protection plan and that Lenscrafters would replace them, frame and lenses, for $25.  It took an hour and I had a new pair. You may count this as a testimonial for Lenscrafters.

Tomorrow, we're back in the saddle again and heading for the Minnesota line.  I know that the wind still blows in Minnesota and there are still hills to climb but hope that the severity of each will be less there.  I hope that Minnesota will be greener.  It's certainly more populated --- a hundred miles between towns is a long way.  The western states have their beautiful, sweeping panoramas but my taste tends toward scenery that is easier on the eyes and doesn't require industrial strength sunglasses.

Three days in Minnesota, four in Wisconsin, four in Michigan.  Soon the state lines will be going by a little faster.  This trip has been a month of continuous novelty with three weeks to go.  West of the Missouri River, the trip seemed to go on forever but now, somehow, the end can be seen as a bump on the horizon becoming slightly bigger than it was a few days ago.

It rained here today.  Maybe that lowers the probability that it'll rain tomorrow.  There's only so much water up there, right?  We've been very lucky so far with the rain.

AAN day 27 - Mitchell, SD --> Sioux Falls, SD

Across America North - day 27 - Mitchell, SD --> Sioux Falls, SD

74 miles. With the ride to Chamberlain still a lingering memory, I note that today was an easy day. Tomorrow is a rest day and the day after tomorrow will have us in Minnesota.

With so much reliable wind in South Dakota, I wondered why we didn't see more than a few token wind turbines. Maybe the transmission lines don't exist. If not, why not build them? North Dakota has made a deal with the oil companies but that may be a deal with the devil. The many farmers in South Dakota might parcel off a few acres and lease them to wind farmers. I hear that the rent can be a pretty good income.

With Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and South Dakota behind us, about 65,000 feet of the total 107,000 feet of climbing are behind us, too. That's only 60% but much of that was in a rather austere environment. Sometimes it was a hundred miles between towns and often it was about 50 miles. A few trees to shield us from the wind would be good.

There is generally a sense of relief that we'll be leaving South Dakota. It's been a difficult week of headwinds and crosswinds and hills. Here's hopin' for a kinder, gentler Minnesota.

AAN day 26 - Chamberlain, SD --> Mitchell, SD

Across America North - day 26 - Chamberlain, SD --> Mitchell, SD

After the previous day, I started this ride with some foreboding. But it turned out to be a much easier day. That was a relief because tomorrow is similar.

AAN day 25 - Pierre, SD --> Chamberlain, SD

Across America North - day 25 - Pierre, ND --> Chamberlain, ND

The headwind was at least 20 mph with frequent gusts to 30 mph varying slightly in direction. It's hard to convey in mere words the mental and physical cost of 8 hours of continuous struggle to steer the bike and keep it moving against the relentless, crushing wind. At the end of 84 miles of such a struggle were two hills whose elevation profiles look like two pointed fingers. Climbing those 5-8% hills with a 20 mph headwind was beyond exhausting. I arrived at the hotel barely able to speak and sure that this was the hardest ride of my life.

AAN day 24 - Wall, SD --> Pierre, SD

Across America North - day 24 - Wall, ND --> Pierre, ND

Today is a few days after the ride when I have both time and a network. I've ridden a few miles since this day and the miles tend to run together a few days later. Since I didn't take notes, what's left for today are data and a few pictures.

AAN sign of life

A few network lapses, riding too slowly and not having enough time, and being too tired all contributed to the recent silence.  Posting this entry required some finagling but conditions will improve in Sioux Falls, I suppose.  I'll post data then.  Until then, I affirm that I'm still here.

AAN day 24 - July 10, 2013
Wall, SD --> Pierre, SD
The days runs into each other now and I don't remember this far back with any confidence.  The politician on the campaign trail who goes to a town and forgets where he is now has my sympathy.

AAN day 25 - July 11, 2013
Pierre, SD --> Chamberlain, SD
This is the hardest day I've ever had.  The 20 mph headwind was crushing.  The frequent 30 mph gusts required much struggle to maintain 6-8 mph.  At the end of 84 miles were two hills whose elevation profile looks like a picture of two pointed fingers.  The hills were 5%--8% for miles.  Add the aforementioned headwind and the ride becomes insufferable.  Everyone arrived strung out, some more than others.  I was beyond exhausted.  So far, Teton Pass gets the prize for the hardest part of the day.  Today gets a unanimous decision for the hardest day.

AAN day 26 - July 12, 2013
Chamberlain, ND --> Mitchell, SD
Today was much easier.  It was only 72 miles but had a crosswind of 15 mph all day.  Riding sideways and staying on the bike with gusts to 20 mph was a continuous effort.  South Dakota seems to be a wind tunnel.  We'll be in Sioux Falls tomorrow and have a rest day on Sunday.  We'll cross into Minnesota on Monday.

I was thinking of summarizing the composition of the group but that takes more time than I have now.  Maybe on the rest day.

Across America North - day 23 - Rapid City, SD --> Wall, SD

Today was a short day of only 58 miles. I arrived at the hotel at about 12:45 and others arrived much earlier. Twenty miles of the route were on the interstate where I am reminded that South Dakota likes its rumble strips. This highway had a rumble strip bordering the lane and another rumble strip taking two thirds of the shoulder. With gusting crosswinds, riding on the narrow strip that was left required some concentration.

It was a warm day so I made note of the Dairy Queen within walking distance of the hotel. With Blizzard in hand, I went off to find Wall Drug just to say I had seen the place. Think of it as the distillation of all tourist traps everywhere.

Tomorrow's ride starts with loading the luggage at 5:15 and riding to breakfast at 5:30. Most will be on the road to Pierre, SD by 6:00. It'll be a long day after 120 miles. South Dakota is a wide state and we won't see Minnesota for another week and after the next rest day.

AAN day 22 - Hot Springs, WY --> Rapid City, SD

Across America North - day 22 - Hot Springs, SD --> Rapid City, SD

The Black Hills are well named. It was supposed to be a day of long climbs and so it was. I measured 5700 feet of climbing today over 74 miles. Rain for the first two hours raised the anxiety a bit but it cleared for the rest of the day.

Among the many hills was an extended bombing run after Mount Rushmore. However, I followed a car whose driver probably gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles. A car followed that driver a bit close so I stayed away and under 35 mph. Another hill worth mentioning was the one that ended in Rapid City. That one went through a long construction zone with one of two lanes closed. The hill was so steep that I could take the only lane averaging about 35 mph. Only approaching a traffic light did I reluctantly apply the brakes for a right turn. It was great.

The day began with two hours of light rain and clearing for the rest of our riding hours. A heavy rain occurred only at dinner time with us ensconced in our hotel. Then it cleared again and may, with our usual good luck, be the rain that doesn't fall tomorrow. Tomorrow is an easy, short day of only 57 miles going east with an expected tailwind out of the west. This could be great, too.

AAN day 21 - Lusk, WY --> Hot Springs, SD

Across America North - day 21 - Lusk, WY --> Hot Springs, SD

We finished the trip across Wyoming and crossed the line into South Dakota. It was a great ride. The weather was cool, which made it easy to work, and humid, which made it easy to breath. Furthermore, the net elevation change was very negative and the long, gentle downhill parts were made even better by a nice tailwind. Today was a coincidence of happy accidents.

The landscape is getting a little greener. One local person was heard to say that this is unusual. They usually don't get as much rain as they've had so far this year. Still, we're slowly moving toward greener land as we head east. The density of resources of all kinds should increase, too, as we move east but not yet. It's still a long way between towns here.

I arrived at the Best Western Inn in Hot Springs, SD at 1:15 hoping to check in and take a shower. The word was no. The rooms were ready but 2:00 is check-in time. Ok, wait. At 2:00, check-in is still not happening. At 2:30, I check-in but don't get a room number and don't get a key. They won't accept my Best Western loyalty card, either. After two more people check in, I get a key and go to my room. The room is still being prepared. Another half hour later, I get into the room. Uh, oh, no towels. My roommate calls for towels and we wait another half hour. Someone eventually arrives with towels and very grumpy manners. We take showers and go about our business, which involves locking the door. We find out separately that our keys no longer work and separately go to the front desk. There I find a woman who I can describe only as hateful. She yells at me because acivating one key disables another key and vice-versa. She rants about other rooms having this problem and conflates the problems of various rooms. I misunderstand her to mean that enabling my key disables the key of another room. What she really meant was that enabling my key disables my roommate's key. Then she refuses to let me into my room until I find my roommate and we present our keys together for re-encoding. She says that isn't her problem although she caused it. I sat in the lobby for an hour asking everyone where my roommate was and eventually find him. Then I get his key and go back to the wicked witch of the west to make both keys work. She shouldn't be working the desk. I normally take a kind view of problems but that's very difficult to do this time. She regards me and my disabled key with unmistakable hatred. She shouldn't be there. I've heard of quite a few reviews from our group being posted on tripadvisor.com with similar stories. If Best Western management reads tripadvisor.com, maybe Sandy will get some heat.

Tomorrow we go to Mount Rushmore on a day with 5100 feet of climbing over 74 miles. It'll be a hard day. I was there in a car several years ago and was impressed with the hills even when I didn't have to do any work to climb them. I'll remember them more clearly after this week. Wake-up time will be at 5:00 and we'll be riding away at 5:45.

AAN day 20 - Casper, WY --> Lusk, WY

Across America North - day 20 - Casper, WY --> Lusk, WY

Breakfast at 6:00, load bags at 7:00, on the road as soon as possible. Today's ride was 107 miles to the east, about 14 miles of which were on the interstate. The wind was the big uncertainty and we got lucky. It was out of the west most of the day and lined up perfectly with the path of the interstate. I averaged about 35 mph for those 14 miles and it was great. I was going about 35 mph and felt no wind --- the world was so silent that it was eerie. Going up hills at 23 mph fostered fantasies of really being fast.

The rest of the ride was mostly on the shoulder of frontage roads. The shoulders are patched in long, snake-like strips with a soft material that grabs bicycle tires and changes their direction suddenly. Vigilance was needed. The wind shifted northward and the free ride was not so free anymore. I arrived at the hotel later than most.

Tomorrow's route takes us first north and then east to Hot Springs, SD. Breakfast is at 5:30 so it's past my bedtime now at 9:30.

The seemingly random song du jour is by Paul Simon.
I have a number in my head
Though I don't know why it's there
When numbers get serious
You see their shape everywhere
Dividing and multiplying
Exchanging with ease
When times are mysterious
Serious numbers are easy to please

AAN day 19 - Rest day in Casper, WY

AAN day 19 - Rest day in Casper, WY

Today was a quiet day.  I did an errand, cleaned my bike, got a sandwich for tomorrow's lunch, and took a nap.  Ah, the blessings of a whole day of unstructured time.  Tomorrow, we're back to the riding day schedule and on our way to Lusk, Wyoming, 106 miles away.  The scenery will be what we've seen already and is pretty much summed up in a single picture.  Afternoon thunderstorms are predicted so we shouldn't dally at the SAG stops.

I am typical in not having turned on a TV for weeks.  The Edward Snowden affair is of interest to me so I look for news about that. 

The Iceland parliament will not consider legislation making Snowden a citizen before it goes into recess.  I was hoping that it would make him a citizen just as did for Bobby Fischer.  A well informed citizenry is essential to a functioning democracy.  Our government seems intent on secrecy and has fascist tendencies that ought to be frustrated and corrected.  "My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right."

The alarm sounds at 5:15 tomorrow morning.  Good night.

AAN day 18 - Riverton, WY --> Casper, WY

America by Bicycle day 18 - Riverton, WY --> Casper, WY

This was a long day but could have been longer with less favorable weather. We got an early start by waking at 4:45 for breakfast at 5:30, loading the bags at 6:30, and leaving at 6:40. Brian's tire exploded at about 6:25 as he was pumping it up. He changed it in about 5 minutes and was off with the fast group.

The first few miles were rolling and the next 30 uphill but so gently uphill that it didn't matter much. At about 65 miles, at the top of a 60-mile hill, the grade switched to gently downhill for another 30 miles. The remaining 30 miles into Casper were rolling. My legs were willing but my seat was not. I was fidgeting on my saddle and standing up frequently but only staying off the saddle had the desired effect. Maybe the day off tomorrow will help enough for the 106-mile ride to Lusk on Saturday.

I saw my first Wall Drug billboard today. As we approach the drug store made famous by the saturation of its billboard advertising, we expect to see thousands of them. Today's 120 miles were notable for their emptiness. The few town limit signs that we saw cited populations of about 600, 44, and 10. The trip to Lusk on Saturday will be like that, too. It's hard to imagine living in one of those towns. I wonder why Wall Drug saw fit to advertise here. It would have been difficult to carry enough water through this dry, bleak country. That reminded me of my solo trip across west Texas and New Mexico a long time ago but now I have the luxury of SAG support.

With today's long ride through vast, bleak country, I wondered, "What am I doing here?" and "What have I gotten myself into?". There is more of the same on the ride to Lusk and still more to Hot Springs, SD. In South Dakota are the countless, relentless rolling hills that accumulate more climbing than any other state except Oregon. Wyoming is only third on that list. Climbing is what I do worst. I move into the slow lane whenever the road goes uphill so South Dakota will be another slow state for me.

Aches and pains come and go on this trip. Maybe it's a little like a meditation retreat where simply doing nothing for an extended time also results in the appearance and passing of many temporary, some painful, states.

The same song continues to be played in my head occasionally during the day.
Dear Diary, What a day it's been. / Dear Diary, it seems just like a dream / Woke up today. Wasn't where I should have been. / For goodness' sake, what's happening to me?

AAN day 17 - Dubois, WY --> Riverton, WY

America by Bicycle - day 17 - Dubois, WY --> Riverton, WY

Yesterday, the hard day after the day that included Teton Pass, I was too tired at 5:30am when the alarm sounded. My first thought was, "I don't want to do this." My legs were heavy but I finished the day although I arrived at a time that made the rest of the evening too busy. It seems that I recover each night barely enough to finish the next day.

Today was a great day. Check the elevation profile to see why but there are more reasons. The weather was clear but there was a very short, severe thunderstorm that caught a group of riders at the front. Those of us a few miles back didn't get a drop although we seemed to be riding straight into it. The scenery was what picture postcards try to be. There was a nice tailwind from the north. The rolling hills were just right for me. I'm the world's worst climber but these rolling hills were steep enough going down to get a good run up the next hill while still short enough to stand up and make it over the top or close to it.

Wyoming state law forbids bicycles from taking any part of the roadway while a shoulder is available. "Available" can be a debatable point when the whole shoulder seems like a rumble strip. Every shoulder has a rumble strip, which is mere vibration to a car but can unseat a cyclist. Hitting a rumble strip on a bike at 30 mph is not good. The required shoulder was good enough for most of the day and sometimes better than the road.

The last few miles of today's 80 was not so much pedaling into Riverton as it was coming in for a landing. The hill was down, the road good, the traffic light, the traffic lights mostly cooperative, and the pace brisk. When I arrived at the hotel, I thought that my legs had never felt so good at the end of an 80-mile ride. Check the elevation profile and you'll see why.

Tomorrow will be one of the tour's hardest days. The 120 miles to Casper is one of the longest days with 60 miles of a slight uphill and 60 miles of a slight downhill. The towns are 100 miles apart and the country is empty.

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AAN day 16 - Jackson, WY --> Dubois, WY

Across America North - day 16 - Jackson, WY --> Dubois, WY

We left Jackson on a spectacular route skirting the Teton mountains. It was all pretty easy until we reached Togwotee Pass, which is an 18-mile climb of 4%-6%. Then came a good descent with rolling hills for the last 20 miles. I got to the hotel just in time to take a shower and go to the meeting about tomorrow's route and then dinner.

The hotel could be better. There is no air conditioning and the rooms have only a 6-inch fan in them. The drink machine is broken. The wireless network doesn't have enough bandwidth for a group of heavy users such as ours.

Tomorrow is another 80-mile day but with an easier route. The next day is 119 miles to Casper. I'm already looking forward to a rest day in Casper.

AAN day 15 - Idaho Falls, ID -> Teton Pass -> Jackson, WY

Across America North day 15 - Twin Falls, ID --> Teton Pass -> Jackson, WY

We got an early start today. I left with a group of others at 7:11am and we rode in a headwind for 30-40 miles. From mile 15 to mile 31, we rode a chip-seal rode still being built. Often a rock of the right size lodged between my tire and the top of the fork and made a sound alarmingly like a puncture. I stopped and checked my wheels often during these miles.

At 44 miles, I arrived at a place for which I could not find a name but which had a sign that caught my attention. It said, "best milkshake in town". That's enough for me and I went to get one. It was a black raspberry milkshake and was very, very good. The restaurant was at the turn where I would head toward Teton Pass and I figured that I needed the fuel.

The Wyoming state line came at 70 miles at the top of a big climb. After this came a descent of about 700 feet only to be climbed again on the way to the pass. At 77.4 miles was the top of the pass. The last two miles of this climb were an average of 10% with occasional rises at 11%. All this came after 3 miles at about 6%. This pass is certainly the hardest climb that I've ever seen. The day's climbing was 5500 feet.

After some time to collect my wits and assess my coordination, I headed down toward Jackson. The grade was 10% like the uphill side and I was on the brakes to hold my speed under 45. When cars going uphill stirred up some dust, I cut the speed to 35. Part of the way down, I wondered about the brakes so I stopped. They were too hot to touch for several minutes. When I could touch them again, I resumed. This is one very steep descent. At the bottom, there were still 8 miles to go to Jackson.

I was among the last to arrive and met freshly showered and recovering fellow riders in the lobby. Everyone had the look of going through the wringer and making an extra effort to do the activities of dailing living. No one was making any sudden moves.

Dinner was at Bubba's BBQ where we could order any entree from the menu plus a salad bar. It was a huge dinner for which I was hugely hungry.

Tomorrow's ride is 86 miles but has only 3800 feet of climbing. I'm looking forward to a rest day on Friday and I'm not the only one. We are assured by the staff that today was the hardest day of the tour. Amen.

Across America North - day 14 - Pocatello, ID --> Idaho Falls, ID

This should have been an easy day and I guess it was. It was easier than other days. It wasn't as easy as it looked possibly because of the cumulative effects of riding 990 miles in two weeks. We set off for Idaho Falls at about 7am and I arrived at about 1:30, long after most of the group. I stay too long at the SAG stop and stop too often.

Hundreds of miles of chip-seal road have been hard on my tires but especially hard on the rear one. With Teton Pass tomorrow, I was too worried about the rear tire to let it go any longer so I replaced it tonight. Whew.

Tomorrow we see a new state but only after about 60 miles. Then we get to climb Teton Pass. Practically everyone has been worried about this day. The two miles at the top of the pass are 10% and steeper. That's near the end of a 90-mile day. No wonder we're a little worried.

Across America North - day 13 - Burley, ID --> Pocatello, ID

Today was a hot one. Towards the end, I was wishing for it to be over even more fervently than I did on that recent cold, wet day. Part of the route was a 9-mile stretch on the interstate highway. I noted as I turned on to it that it seemed smooth and clean but it turned out to be not clean enough for me. About two miles later, I had another flat tire. I'm batting 1000 for interstates so far. As I looked in vain for the cause of the flat, I noticed that the tire has taken a beating. About 25 minutes later, I was on my way again.

It was cool in the mnorning because the clouds shielded us. In the afternoon, however, we baked. On a long, 9-mile stretch next to a railroad track, we didn't see shade for uncounted miles. After 70 miles, it had been a long day.

I resolved to take the next possibility of shade to cool off a little. That turned out to be a house at the top of a steep hill. The driveway was dirt and rocks in the shape of a spiral staircase. As Ya Qi and I climbed it, I wondered if it was worth the trouble. At the top, there was some shade in a driveway. We parked our bikes against the garage door and sat down. A few minutes later, we heard a door close inside. Thinking that the garage door might open at any moment, I moved my bike. But out another door came the woman of the house. I said, "I hope you don't mind our sitting in your shade." She said no and we could use the hose lying beside us, too. She went back inside and we sat. A few minutes later, she came out with a bag of ice. We truly appreciated that and she went back inside. A few minutes later, she came out with a bag of grapes. They were very good. We filled out water bottles with ice and ate the grapes. I knocked on her door to thank her again and to tell her that we were leaving. There was no answer so we left. On our way past her house, Ya Qi saw her and we waved goodbye. One might think that this was lucky but I submit that it wasn't. It's notlucky because it happens often enough to be normal. It happens often enough to be normal because most people are pretty good.

Tomorrow is only 65 miles and the day after is 90 miles across the Wyoming border and over Teton Pass.

AAN day 12 - Twin Falls, ID --> Burley, ID

Today is the shortest day of the tour at 39 miles. However, with detours to Shoshone Falls and Twin Falls, it turned out to be 45 miles. That's still the shortest. The bonus miles had grades of 8% to 13% so they ought to have some extra credit.

Once again, we saw lots of farm land. Many farmhouses seemed to be tiny islands in a sea of green. I stopped quite a few times to take pictures of them but none of them seems good, at least on this little computer. Maybe if they were large prints... To allow that, I should make the resolution higher but there are disadvantages on the road.

If I were alone, I would take a day or two off but we roll on with a schedule to keep. The next rest day is in Casper, Wyoming, in about another week. I ride alone much of the time because I'm usually the only one who likes my (somewhat erratic) pace. I'm getting slower as we go so maybe I'll merge with the group behind me. It seems certain that I'll never catch the one ahead. As usual, the more uphill there is, the slower I get. The more downhill there is, the higher my relative standing. Maybe Minnesota and Michigan will be steadier and smoothe r for me.

We passed Woodstock Farm and Joni Mitchell's rendition of Woodstock came to mind but didn't persist long enough to be the song du jour.

The weather today was hot again with little to no wind and it's expected to continue tomorrow. The prediction is 91 degrees.

Across America North - day 11 - Mountain Home, ID --> Twin Falls, ID

Today was a long one: 97 miles on a day whose high temperature was 97 degrees. The first half was through farm land with a great variety of crops being irrigated by a vast system of immense sprinklers. And cows. So many cows. We were passed by many huge, silver tank trucks carrying milk from those cows.

In the first half of the ride, the weather was nice and cool. I got on the wheel of two fast riders for a couple of miles and rode a good pace at about 21 mph. Then the pulling rider changed and the new leader pushed the pace to 23.5 mph while we were going up a 2.5% grade. I was dropped. As the hours passed in the second half, the temperature went up to the promised high of 97. I was not in trouble in the heat but was beyond glad to get to the hotel. A few others needed relief at the SAG vehicle. There but for grace...

The roughest part of today's ride was the endless chip-seal roads. I know that it's a financially appealing way to build a road and it resists the formation of sheets of ice. Still, it shortens the life of all tires, be they car, truck, or bike. Today's ride took a lot of miles off of our tires.

The song du jour, determined by forces beyond my conscious control, is Slip Slidin' Away by Paul Simon.

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away


After a dip in the cool pool and a longer soak in the warm jacuzzi, we went to dinner at the Golden Corral, a 10-minute walk from the hotel. It's a good place to go after a long day in the saddle. Then came the unexpected chance to use a washer and dryer in the hotel. With laundry done and after some time with this blog, it's beddie-bye time now.

Tomorrow's ride is to Burley, a mere 39 miles away (not counting side trips to a couple of waterfalls here at Twin Falls. The hot weather is expected to continue until we get some altitude at Jackson Hole, wyoming.

(The following data show only 83 miles because a spontaneous reset of my computer lost the first 14 miles.)

AAN day 10 - Boise, ID --> Mountain Home, ID

Across America North - day 10 - Boise, ID --> Mountain Home, ID

Today was a cool, sunny day in Idaho. We set off for Mountain Home, Idaho at about 8:00am, which is later than usual. Only a few rolling hills so it was an easy 54 miles. I spent the last 20 miles in a paceline being pulled by our locomotive, Brian. Our average speed was about 18-19 mph so it went by much faster than riding alone.

Another song runs through my head occasionally.  Dear Diary is from On the Threshold of a Dream by the Moody Blues.
 
Dear diary, what a day it's been.
Dear diary, it's been just like a dream.
Woke up too late. Wasn't where I should have been.
For goodness sake what's happening to me?
Write lightly, yours truly, dear diary.

Tomorrow night we'll be in Twin Falls. It's 97 miles away and the high tomorrow is 97 degrees. We'll get up for this at 4:30, have breakfast at 5:30, load the bags in the trailer at 6:30, and be on our way at about 6:45. When I'll arrive seems uncertain because I'm getting slower.

The first week of riding ended last Sunday with 550 miles logged. That's the most I've ridden since crossing Texas in 8 days back in 1980. As I remember it, the task is somewhat more difficult now. That comparison leads to Dylan Thomas: Do not go gentle into that good night / Rage, rage against dying of the light.

AAN day 09 - rest day in Boise, ID

Across America North - day 09 - rest day in Boise, ID

Today we stay in Boise, a nice, small town where I could spend more time. But the schedule rules and tomorrow, early at least, if not brightly, we will pedal onward. When I sit on a real chair, I think, "this chair is sooo soft!"

The weather channel has become our favorite TV and smartphones everywhere are tuned to weather apps. The reports say that we'll be beyond toasty crossing Idaho and Wyoming. I followed the crowd yesterday and bought something called "Sue's Ice Cold Necklace". The directions say to "Soak 10 min. in tap water. Tube expands and stays cool for hours... Keeps you cool while gardening, camping, hiking, fishing, rafting, jogging, exercising, square dancing." I don't know what's in it or how it's better than a rag but I'll find out soon.

My roommate, Gar, and I went for a walk around town this morning. First, we we went down the street and took a left across the Snake River. On the bridge was a sign warning of legal peril if caught jumping within 50 feet of a floater. I can only assume that this means that people float down the river on inner tubes and other inflated things. That's one of my good memories of Florida --- it was good to float down the Itchetucknee in the summer.

Across the river was the Anne Frank Memorial park with extensive displays of text. The park was about an acre and tended with great care. From there we walked to the capitol. Boise is about the right size for walking and it's green, too. We'll see more of it starting at 4:00pm when a few of us will take the trolley tour of the city. Maybe I'll write about that later tonight.

AAN day 08 - Ontario, OR --> Boise, ID

Across America North - day 08 - Ontario, OR --> Boise, ID

We crossed the border into Idaho today. Six days in Idaho will be followed by 5 riding days in Wyoming. Today was a short ride of only 63 miles mostly in rural Oregon and Idaho. Quiet, country roads with little traffic, cool temperatures, and only a few hills made this an easy, pleasant cruise. Racking up 580 miles in a week had a certain effect on the rider so he had to stay out of the saddle as much as he could the last 20 miles. Tomorrow is the end of the first leg of the trip and we have a day off. Just in time for me.

Riders can sign up for legs of the full trip across the country. Today is the end of the first leg and the beginning of the second so riders may come and go during the rest day. One half of a couple is going today and her husband will continue to the Atlantic coast. There are others who join the tour for this leg but we don't know who they are, yet.

Many others have been stopping for lunch but I don't even think of it. I usually have a banana, some gorp, and some cookies at the SAG stops, which are enough.

AAN day 07 - Ontario, OR --> Boise, ID

Across America North - day 07 - Baker City, OR --> Ontario, OR

Today was a pretty good cruise. One look at the elevation profile in the Garmin data will tell you that the first half was mostly downhill. There were a few hills in the second half and the last 15 miles were straight and flat. The last 15 miles were vast fields of corn (GMO corn according to one rider who seemed acquainted with the varieties) and another crop that I never identified. When we get to South Dakota, I wonder if my standard of reference for "vast" will be reset.

The day included about 10 miles on the interstate highway. It's one thing to cruise down the highway in a car that insulates you from the noise, the buffeting of the wind, and the destructive trash left on the road by separated tire tread. It's another to live with all those things on the interstate. When a tread separates from a tire, it spreads tiny wires on the road that are fatal to bicycle tires. I had a flat tire on the interstate, which I fixed as fast as I could and got out of there. We were using that road because it's the only way from here to there.

Tomorrow we will bag our first state line. That moment will definitely be a photo-op. We already crossed the time zone boundary into Mountain Daylight Time. That's 15 degrees of longitude so we've gone 1/24th of the way around the world. (Well, not quite because the Pacific coast probably isn't on a time zone boundary.)

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AAN day 06 - John Day, OR --> Baker City, OR

What a stark contrast with yesterday today was! Besides the scenery for which Oregon is well known, we passed through little towns that seemed like a good place to be. One of them, Prairie City, struck me as a cross between Disneyland's main street and a Prairie Home Companion set. If I were coming back to Oregon, I would try to come back to Prairie City for a longer look.

We were tired after yesterday and up at the usual 5:00 am to prepare to roll out of there at 7:00 am. The choice of clothes was more difficult because of yesterday when I was woefully underdressed for the surprising weather. It turned out to be a great day with a clear sky and stunningly beautiful views of the snow-capped mountains in the background with neat, well tended farms‌ in the foreground. There were so many perfect pictures and so many places where a photographer could set up for the day and look for the perfect light.

There were three big hills on the route. Each one had a good, smooth road and was great for a fast, smooth 6% descent through gentle, sweeping curves. The third hill was the steepest climb with grades of a sustained 8% and briefly becoming 9-10%. Even Colorado seldom has roads that steep. (The Pikes Peak road comes to mind but there are many places in Colorado that I haven't seen.)

A song runs through my head occasionally the last few days. I hear it with the full orchestration typical of the Moody Blues. The song is Out and In from the album, To Our Children's Children's Children. The only verse that I remember is this one.

Gazing past the planets Looking for total view I've been lying here for hours You gotta make the journey Out and in Out and in Out and in

Why this song bubbled to the surface, I have no idea. But I hear the music in my head and I like it.

The second SAG stop was in a perfect roadside park overlooking a lake. It's a birdwatching site where bald eagles and ospreys can be seen fishing. It was definitely a place to linger. I did that but Baker City was still 20 miles away and headed out. By then, I could smell the barn and treated the downhill ride to Baker city as a time trial. It was fun but I can feel it in my legs now.

Tomorrow, we ride 83 miles to Ontario, Oregon. The elevation profile of the route looks great --- it's practically all downhill.